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
Relevance
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
But current and former employees describe Tan as missing in action, spotted in person only once at an ice cream social, presumably designed to soften the news about a strict return to office policy.
—
Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The packaging advised crumbling the bar up and dropping it in boiling water to soften.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
Doing so will remove detergent residue, soften them, and refresh their natural oils.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
Those first days at home were softened by her mother-in-law’s steady presence.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The packaging advised crumbling the bar up and dropping it in boiling water to soften.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
Doing so will remove detergent residue, soften them, and refresh their natural oils.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
Those first days at home were softened by her mother-in-law’s steady presence.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
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For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The study aims to explore the relationship between menopause and exercise, with the goal of understanding what type(s) and duration of exercise may alleviate the common symptoms of menopause.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
6 Oct. 2025
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Moore adds that these small cleaning tasks might even alleviate the snowball of multiple tasks with a more significant chunk of time.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Such an action would require a national moratorium on comparable AI models until the damage is contained and the risk mitigated.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
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Homeowners can prepare their homes to mitigate the potential damage of flooding, according to experts.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Big Tech CEOs’ rightward shift may have tempered Trump’s desire to crack down on them, but more likely, the White House sees antitrust enforcement as a means to an end, and has more politically valuable ends in mind than promoting competition.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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As the Federal Reserve monitors inflation and contemplates eventual rate cuts, the second-quarter revision highlights an economy that continues to defy forecasts — powered by consumers, tempered by investment risks, and shadowed by the possibility of market volatility ahead.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If your internet keeps lagging, buffering or dropping out, one of the quickest fixes is restarting your router.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
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The work happened over a 10-day period, with crews adding 2,500 cubic yards of sand along more than a quarter-mile of shoreline to help buffer the tracks from waves and improve resilience against erosion.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If hosting partly in the living room, place cushions around the coffee table for easy dipping—or a game night following the food.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
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Slip these insoles into your walking shoes for cushioning that absorbs shock, protects joints and delivers all-day comfort.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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