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

Katie Holmes and boyfriend Jason Bard Yarmosky are soaking up the last of the summer sun in Italy. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Angelenos avoided the most significant impacts of Hurricane Marie over the Labor Day weekend, but the region continued to soak up the fringes of the storm Sunday, according to meteorologists. — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

While fans were going crazy, storming the field and soaking up the moment, the team couldn’t wait to leave that game behind. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The Jayhawks soaked up most of the third quarter with another touchdown drive, and Ballard and the backups took care of the rest, much to the delight of PGA Tour star and Kansas alum Gary Woodland, who watched the game from the sideline. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for soak up

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