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
But Thune has worked to soften the blow, at least within his own conference, by involving Lee in lengthy conversations on how debate proceeds.
—
David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026
Allow mixture to soften to piping consistency.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
The story goes that in order to soften sandwich bread for a guest with bad gums, Cole’s chef Jack Garlinghouse dipped the roll in au jus.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The formula delivers layered hydration with multiple forms of hyaluronic acid to plump and soften skin.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026
Allow mixture to soften to piping consistency.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
The story goes that in order to soften sandwich bread for a guest with bad gums, Cole’s chef Jack Garlinghouse dipped the roll in au jus.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The formula delivers layered hydration with multiple forms of hyaluronic acid to plump and soften skin.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
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For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Continuous support could theoretically weaken muscles, so experts advise mixing exo use with traditional ergonomics and exercise.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hundreds of temporarily unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers have fully resigned, many more are calling out daily and immigration officers have been deployed to alleviate the situation.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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With roughly six weeks remaining in the current fiscal year, the committee agreed to move $2 million from the public safety sales tax fund to help alleviate budget pressures at the Police Department due to overtime and legal settlements.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Beyond being a snapshot of the past, these barrels filled with lime had been buried to mitigate chemical reactivity and to survive the winters.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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His pain is mitigated by his friendship with Ernie Cantwell, the Catholic school’s only Black student.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
France and Poland had led a campaign to halt or temper the deal with clauses protecting consumers and agricultural producers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Emerson likes to temper the earthy anxieties of her lyrics with the acknowledgement that life is, fundamentally, beautiful, and matches that sensibility with production that’s peppy without feeling overbearing.—
Shaad D’Souza,
Pitchfork,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Delinquency rates are nearly double the rates from October 2021 but have taken longer to reach pre-COVID levels, buffered by rising home prices.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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The body has ways to buffer this, including the kidneys producing and retaining more bicarbonate, which plays a key role in controlling blood acidity.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The government introduced a curb on gasoline prices earlier this month, aimed at cushioning the blow from rising energy prices and easing pressure on living costs.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
-
His challenge is finding a way to maximize the revenue boost from the oil price rise while cushioning the impact on the poorest people in a nation where around 60% of the population live below the World Bank’s poverty line.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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