soak (up)

verb

Definition of soak (up)next
as in to drink
to take in (something liquid) through small openings this sponge should soak up the spilled juice very nicely

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soak (up)
  1. drink
  2. absorb
  3. take up
Verb
  • Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • These men knew some simple and worthwhile truths, like where to eat, what to drink, and how to welcome a stranger.
    — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
Definition of drink
Verb
  • The Hill Country is especially prone to flooding issues because its steep slopes, shallow soils and exposed bedrock repel heavy rain instead of absorbing it.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Publishers have argued that the companies also benefit from distributing and displaying links to journalism while absorbing advertising revenue that once supported newsrooms.
    — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of absorb
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the task of mediation was taken up by Qatar and Pakistan, with Pakistan becoming an unlikely host due to a combination of geographic necessity, deft diplomacy, and shifting regional alliances, analysts say.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Preconstruction bidding is expected to take up to 12 months, and construction is expected to start in the second half of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
    — Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of take up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

soaks (up)
soak (up)
so-and-so
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soak (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soak%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All