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
Without sofas, curtains, or rugs to soften things, your color palette has nowhere to hide.
—
Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
In a bowl, combine softened butter with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian seasoning, celery salt, and garlic paste (made by smashing garlic cloves with salt, then mincing it and mashing it with the side of your knife).
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026
Border plants soften edges and hard lines in the landscape while adding lush layers to any planting.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
That, with a lime-wash plaster on accent walls, breathes and softens the acoustics of a small footprint.
—Amy Kunst, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
In a bowl, combine softened butter with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian seasoning, celery salt, and garlic paste (made by smashing garlic cloves with salt, then mincing it and mashing it with the side of your knife).
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026
Border plants soften edges and hard lines in the landscape while adding lush layers to any planting.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
That, with a lime-wash plaster on accent walls, breathes and softens the acoustics of a small footprint.
—Amy Kunst, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
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As consumer activity has weakened, the central bank has warned about the growing misalignment between real sentiment and headline GDP growth.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
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Heat can shrink fabrics, fade colors and weaken elastic fibers, which shortens the life of garments that would otherwise hold up for years.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
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To alleviate the district’s overall budget deficit, the Board of Managers approved two separate reductions in force last month.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
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The Edge power bank has been designed to alleviate such things.—
Paul Ridden
May 12,
New Atlas,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The strong exports helped to mitigate the weaknesses in domestic demand, but not enough to fully offset it, said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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The argument for keeping an underperforming manager tends to centre on whether there were enough mitigating circumstances behind a bad season, and whether the club can use their summer to make the correct changes in player recruitment and wider infrastructure to fix things.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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In one rep on Saturday, Harbaugh asked the linemen to remove their helmets so the players would temper their level of violence.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2026
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In a political world where the GOP's House majority is just five seats, those inch-by-inch advantages could temper Republican losses in the midterms despite the headwinds of an unpopular war and high gas prices.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Decades of research indicate that psychological flexibility plays an important role in buffering the negative effects of stress and a broad range of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.—
Joan M. Cook,
Time,
12 May 2026
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Multiple security checkpoints buffered the site from the street, and officers from both agencies maintained a heavy presence throughout the groundbreaking ceremony.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Some electric vehicle and hybrid drivers are able to cushion the devastating impact of rising gas prices due to the Iran War.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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But many lower-income households no longer have the post-pandemic supports, like stimulus checks, that helped cushion their budgets during the last energy crisis in 2022.—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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