soak up

verb

soaked up; soaking up; soaks up

1

: to take in (liquid) : absorb

The rag soaked up most of the water.

2

: to enjoy feeling or experiencing (something pleasant) in usually a slow or relaxed way

We went to the beach and soaked up the sun/sunshine all afternoon.

I sat at my table for an hour soaking up the atmosphere of the café.

The performers stood on the stage, soaking up the applause.

3

: to learn and remember (something) quickly

He eagerly soaked up every word she said.

She has an ability to soak up new information very quickly.

4

: to use a large amount of (money, supplies, etc.)

This project is soaking up resources that could be used elsewhere.

Examples of soak up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plus, no drying means less time at the nail salon and more spent cooling off at the pool or soaking up the sun. — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 19 July 2026

Shakira soaked up the Miami sun, while other A-list stars such as Nina Dobrev and Kim Kardashian enjoyed time with friends and family. — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

Visitors can take a strenuous hike up an old farm path to be close to the waterfall and soak up panoramic views of the surrounding fjords and mountains, or marvel while on a boat ride across the fjord. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 July 2026

These structures are riddled with microscopic pores that behave like molecular sponges, soaking up water vapor and releasing it again with minimal fuss. — New Atlas, 16 July 2026

Rhymes for soak up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup