soften up

verb

softened up; softening up; softens up

1

: to treat (someone) very well or kindly in order to make that person more likely to help one, give one something, etc.

He tried to soften her up by buying her flowers.

2

: to weaken (an enemy) through military attacks

They used artillery to soften up the enemy's defenses before launching a full-scale attack.

Examples of soften up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plop it onto wicker and rattan seating to soften up their edges a little. — Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 26 Mar. 2026

Thrusting a baby into Offerman’s burly arms works wonders to soften up Jinx (as does the actor’s vulnerable turn), and Kenny’s arc proves surprising in the right ways (save, perhaps, one late-arriving twist). — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026

Once the tortillas soften up in the broth, all or part of it can be blended to create a silky texture full of fresh corn flavor. — Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 11 Mar. 2026

Those weapons hit Iranian air defenses and essentially softened up Iranian offensive positions, paving the way for manned aircraft to come in after, according to the source. — Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 3 Mar. 2026

Rhymes for soften up

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