SOFTENS Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

softens

verb

present tense third-person singular of soften

as in weakens

to diminish the physical strength of three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in alleviates

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of softens After the first 10 handshakes, the chatter softens to a murmur. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026 The Raylan Leather Armchair has timeless elegance, with high-quality, top-grain leather that develops a rich patina and softens with use. — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2026 The co-CEOs have modeled a cash ramp-up in coming years but meanwhile there’s not a big cushion if churn rises, cable-network declines accelerate, the box office softens again or there’s macroeconomic or geopolitical disruption. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 Revenue may be holding up even as calendar productivity softens, creating an important trade-off for buyers to consider. — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 If buyers have already seen your ad several times, engagement softens, giving the platform another reason to show something else. — Matt Jayson, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid draws moisture into skin for a more immediate plumping effect that softens the appearance of lines. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026 The formula pairs urea with moisturizing and barrier-supporting ingredients in a rich cream that softens dry hands and cuticles without leaving behind a greasy finish. — Danielle James, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2026 But lady-like neutrals offer understated elegance that elongates the fingers and instantly softens the look of the hands. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for softens

Verb

Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive.

— Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Research shows that people who share their goals publicly are less likely to achieve them, since talking about them creates a premature sense of accomplishment and weakens the drive to do the work.

— Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakens

Verb

Shortening the distance between them, Apple says, alleviates data bottlenecks among the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, enabling better sustained multitasking performance and unlocking new capabilities for running local AI models.

— Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Morgan Stanley’s Joseph Moore said the arrangement alleviates concerns about circular financing because third-party investors would provide most of the capital, while Nvidia would participate only to a limited extent.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of alleviates

Verb

Designed as a water-free alternative to costly water-spraying setups, this technology mitigates high track temperatures caused by extreme heat waves, reducing deformation risks and speed delays.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Diversifying sourcing across a wider geography mitigates threats from climate change and public health crises, not only geopolitical risk.

— Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of mitigates

Verb

Steering response is quick, precise and abetted by standard rear-axle steering and adaptive damping that cushions bumps and keeps the car level and stable in quick maneuvers.

— Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 2026
While the sole is much thinner than many of the other options on our list, it’s made out of plush memory foam that cushions the foot with every step.

— Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 30 July 2026

Definition of cushions

Verb

In this manner, writing and fantasy relieves adults of the selfish flights of fancy that give rise to tension in our psyches.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Whether magnesium spray actually works, and whether magnesium of any kind reliably relieves leg cramps, matters for anyone paying attention to the trend right now.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of relieves

Verb

Her cheeks are flushed with a vivid, shimmering, nearly hot-pink blush that eases up a bit over the bridge of her nose.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
The win eases some of the pressure on coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, who improved sharply on defense after last week's dispiriting home loss to Oregon.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of eases

Browse Nearby Words

softening

softens

softhead

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Softens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softens. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of softens

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes