soak up

phrasal 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

From giddy costar reunions (Scandal's Katie Lowes and Kerry Washington were seen sharing a warm embrace) to a sweet day date (Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts snuck in a smooch while enjoying beauty treatments), Klein's backyard was packed with A-listers soaking up the sun. —Melody Chiu, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Justin Bieber is soaking up some quality time with his 11-month-old son, Jack Blues. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 9 Aug. 2025

Learn more about the island’s history at the Visitor Center, then take a walk to the island’s beach for surf fishing, shelling, or simply soaking up some sun. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025

The thick, pillowy Kaiser bun soaked up the sweet barbecue sauce and salty juice from the brisket — all while providing sufficient structural integrity to hold the colossal sandwich together. —Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for soak up

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