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
This is due to general rate increases (GRIs) implemented by the carriers to kick off September to soften the blow of the capacity declines.
—
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Sep. 2025
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
—Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Materials are interesting in that a low looks to have been established, while Capital Equipment has softened somewhat recently.
—Randy Watts, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Home values in Los Angeles and Orange counties softened in the past year as economic challenges outweighed fears that January’s wildfire destruction could propel prices even higher.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Sep. 2025
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
—Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Materials are interesting in that a low looks to have been established, while Capital Equipment has softened somewhat recently.
—Randy Watts, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Home values in Los Angeles and Orange counties softened in the past year as economic challenges outweighed fears that January’s wildfire destruction could propel prices even higher.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
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Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That program has not alleviated concerns over postproduction deductions and, as of August, had not resolved any cases about that issue, the news organizations found.—
Jacob Orledge,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
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There are privacy enhancing technologies that would alleviate this concern.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Critics have argued that the industry is a prime example of moral hazard—that, by mitigating the potential consequences of a fatal shooting, self-defense insurance makes such outcomes more likely.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
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By implementing rigorous controls and subjecting them to human scrutiny, companies can guide this powerful technology toward valuable outcomes while mitigating risk factors.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the initial enthusiasm for the city’s stablecoin drive has been tempered by a cautious regulatory approach, keeping it from replicating the breakneck growth seen in the United States.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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But if such factors tempered the public’s instinct to rush to the harshest judgments, the ordeal also revealed how the corporatization of sports betting had done little to snuff out a secretive underworld estimated to be responsible for $64 billion in illicit wagers annually.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In agroforestry systems, shade trees can buffer heat and drought, often reducing evaporation from soil and moderating plants’ water stress.—
Paul Mwebaze,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
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After all, financial security can buffer against many of life’s stresses.—
Robert B. Tucker,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This is a dramatic shift resulting from a substantial drop in living standards over the last few years, a drop that was not cushioned by the nation’s vast lithium reserves.—
Daniel Markind,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Similarly, a basketball team accustomed to new hardwood may benefit from training sessions on worn or cushioned courts that simulate upcoming away venues.—
Michael Hales,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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