soften up
phrasal 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
The Iranian nuclear program was a regional and in some respects global menace, and, after a week and a half of Israel softening up, was vulnerable to a single heavy punch.
—
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
As the night marched on and the awards added up, the duo softened up.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2025
Perhaps Neptune retrograde will soften up the fierce energy of Mars in Sagittarius — here’s hoping for that!
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 4 Nov. 2025
This will soften up the sturdy veggies while enhancing their natural sugars.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025
Was the little wobble in popular momentum stocks enough to soften up expectations to receive good news on tech results with enthusiasm?
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
While considerably smaller, Lindy doesn’t exactly soften up post-transformation.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Its modern design includes numerous arched windows and doorways that soften up the architecture, along with a wavy accent wall that leads you from the entrance into the rest of the abode.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Her review of the best Amazon sheets notes that these are crisp at first but soften up after a couple of washes.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 18 Aug. 2025
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Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
As the night marched on and the awards added up, the duo softened up.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2025
Perhaps Neptune retrograde will soften up the fierce energy of Mars in Sagittarius — here’s hoping for that!
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 4 Nov. 2025
This will soften up the sturdy veggies while enhancing their natural sugars.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025
Was the little wobble in popular momentum stocks enough to soften up expectations to receive good news on tech results with enthusiasm?
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
While considerably smaller, Lindy doesn’t exactly soften up post-transformation.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Its modern design includes numerous arched windows and doorways that soften up the architecture, along with a wavy accent wall that leads you from the entrance into the rest of the abode.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Her review of the best Amazon sheets notes that these are crisp at first but soften up after a couple of washes.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soften up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soften%20up. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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