as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the athlete, softened by the long period of convalescence, had to begin his training program almost from scratch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in weakened
to diminish the physical strength of
three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tempered
to lessen the shock of
had tried to soften the blow of her rejection to his marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of softened
Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
The ground beef was chopped fine on the grill and folded together with sweet, softened onions and perfectly melted American cheese, all tucked into a soft roll with crisp lettuce and tomato for balance.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
For a Rihanna-style manicure, file your nails straight across, paying attention to clean lines with slightly softened corners.
—Lina-Marie Baatz, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2026
To remove the wax, wipe out softened wax with paper towels, add cotton balls to absorb the liquid wax, or let the wax harden and remove it by popping it out with a thin plastic spatula.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Everything in this recipe is made with love, from the tomato sauce to the filling which is tenderly wrapped in the softened cabbage leaves.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Lightly grease paper with softened butter.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
Coming on midway into the second half, a few substitutes ran with the baton against a softened opponent.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Add the jalapeño and stir-fry until slightly softened, another 15 to 20 seconds.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
With vintage terrazzo flooring, coffered ceilings, built in clean-line wooden wardrobes, and minimalist decor, this spot is a midcentury Italian dream, softened by the country charm of its setting, not far from the historic village of Gravedona.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 30 Mar. 2026
Bake until eggplant has softened and started turning brown on the edges, about 10-15 minutes.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Some rookie managers might have softened or postponed a difficult discussion.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
That federal tax relief also has softened state tax revenues.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
With fewer blockbuster moments and a more crowded global fashion calendar thanks to award season, overall visibility softened, but key players continued to command outsized impact.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2026
Add 1 small red onion, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes (add a splash or so of olive oil if pan becomes dry).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Room-temperature eggs, along with softened butter and cream cheese, blend more smoothly, helping the batter emulsify and bake evenly.
—Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
The ground beef was chopped fine on the grill and folded together with sweet, softened onions and perfectly melted American cheese, all tucked into a soft roll with crisp lettuce and tomato for balance.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
For a Rihanna-style manicure, file your nails straight across, paying attention to clean lines with slightly softened corners.
—Lina-Marie Baatz, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2026
To remove the wax, wipe out softened wax with paper towels, add cotton balls to absorb the liquid wax, or let the wax harden and remove it by popping it out with a thin plastic spatula.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Everything in this recipe is made with love, from the tomato sauce to the filling which is tenderly wrapped in the softened cabbage leaves.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Lightly grease paper with softened butter.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
Coming on midway into the second half, a few substitutes ran with the baton against a softened opponent.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
Metcalfe also pointed to South Korea and Thailand as examples of markets where consumption has softened, but said this was reflective of temporary adjustments rather than structural declines.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Add the jalapeño and stir-fry until slightly softened, another 15 to 20 seconds.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
With vintage terrazzo flooring, coffered ceilings, built in clean-line wooden wardrobes, and minimalist decor, this spot is a midcentury Italian dream, softened by the country charm of its setting, not far from the historic village of Gravedona.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 30 Mar. 2026
Bake until eggplant has softened and started turning brown on the edges, about 10-15 minutes.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Some rookie managers might have softened or postponed a difficult discussion.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
That federal tax relief also has softened state tax revenues.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
With fewer blockbuster moments and a more crowded global fashion calendar thanks to award season, overall visibility softened, but key players continued to command outsized impact.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2026
Add 1 small red onion, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes (add a splash or so of olive oil if pan becomes dry).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened
Adjective
-
The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Endowed not only with a privileged birthright but—unlike the actual princes over in England, who had weak chins and went bald young—the physical stature to match?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But, Scanlon noted, the budget was weakened by federal policy changes.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Shipping and insurance costs, inflation and uncertainty are on the rise, and with currencies in developing countries now weakened, imports such as fuel and food are even more expensive for residents.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Congress has for the most part registered only feeble and ineffective opposition to such executive action.—
Sarah Burns,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Scratches above the dead body reach upward, marks that read as feeble attempts to cling to some semblance of life.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, in business, such a conundrum’s difficulty is alleviated greatly by a flowchart maker.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
-
By noon, much of the pressure on the TSA checkpoints at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood had been alleviated, with much smaller lines than the crush of travelers before sunrise.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Sleeping positions and firmness Beyond mattress type, your preferred sleep position and mattress firmness (how hard or soft a bed feels) are other important factors to consider when buying a mattress.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Retail Food Inspection Guide.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
His sometimes too-predictable arsenal has mitigated the effectiveness of each pitch.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Other social welfare programs have safety valves to protect weak, incapacitated or disabled clients from being exploited by people in power.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
South Dakota lawmakers plan to learn more about emergency medical services, Native American health care and services for disabled people ahead of the next legislative session.—
Makenzie Huber,
States Newsroom,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Delinquency rates are nearly double the rates from October 2021 but have taken longer to reach pre-COVID levels, buffered by rising home prices.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The markets that lost their cable deals have been buffered to a degree by MLB’s revenue-sharing system.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Softened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softened. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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