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

The frozen drinks were flowing, the day beds were full of sailors soaking up the sun, and the music simply would not stop. —Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025

Other gigs featuring later albums in full and other material, along with an immersive exhibition in London’s Olympic Park showcasing 25 years of the band, are giving the generation who weren’t born when the album was released a chance to soak up the Gorillaz experience. —Peter Wilkinson, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025

Walk around the waterfront parks, take in the colorful murals, and soak up all this vibrant and historic downtown has to offer. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025

The pancakes make for very fluffy noodles that soak up the soup deliciously. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for soak up

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