1
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to alleviate
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
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Recent Examples of soften
Her tears seem to soften the disciples, who listen as Mary Magdalene begins to lay out the teachings.
—
Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
Enter the best at-home keratin treatments—a more time-efficient (and certainly more budget-friendly) alternative designed to soften texture and smooth frizz.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025
Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens a little and the paneer softens slightly, about 10 minutes.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
Enter the best at-home keratin treatments—a more time-efficient (and certainly more budget-friendly) alternative designed to soften texture and smooth frizz.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025
Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens a little and the paneer softens slightly, about 10 minutes.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
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As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But, in an effort to alleviate some of the insult to injury this task requires, reach for your pile of leftover cardboard instead.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
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If your solution doesn’t alleviate their pain, you'll get ignored.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Without Francisco Alvarez for 25 games, New York ranked 16th in wins above replacement behind the plate, its subpar offense (68 wRC+) mitigated by outstanding defense from Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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President Trump floated a new income tax cut on Sunday as a way to mitigate the impact of his sweeping tariffs, which polls show Americans increasingly believe will lead to higher prices.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Still, the report urged readers to temper their celebration, emphasizing that the film has yet to recoup its budget, a comment many deemed unnecessary and inconsistent with how other big-budget films — particularly those led by non-Black directors — have been covered.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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The state will release its own ZEV sales update at the end of the month, but regulators sought to temper the report’s numbers.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Includes buffer time for unexpected issues, and 4) Maintains balance with my other commitments.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Patrick De Haan, lead petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, added that refineries typically keep a few days' worth of crude oil in reserve, which could buffer the immediate impact.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Johns Hopkins becomes the second major research university this month to step up with self-funding to help cushion the impact from the sudden loss or suspension of federal research dollars.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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That could help cushion any China-centric shock through ports and logistics networks.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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