1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of softens
How the room softens, how people exhale, how laughter drifts back in and the air feels lighter.
—
Adrianne Wright, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
October 23 – November 21 Intensity softens when truth gets air.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
As the month progresses, the energy softens and becomes more supportive.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
By the end of February, the energy softens beautifully as Pisces Season begins, harmonizing with your Scorpio nature.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
The black and gray softens the busy print, especially if paired with simple basics like Holmes.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
The formula includes hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, giving it a soothing, balm-like feel that softens lips overnight.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
The suppleness of the band softens Williams’ tales of despair, transforming them into songs of solace, not outrage.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
When heated above about 99 °F, the polymer softens, allowing a magnetic field to stretch, bend, or twist it.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Jan. 2026
Adrianne Wright, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
October 23 – November 21 Intensity softens when truth gets air.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
As the month progresses, the energy softens and becomes more supportive.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
By the end of February, the energy softens beautifully as Pisces Season begins, harmonizing with your Scorpio nature.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
The black and gray softens the busy print, especially if paired with simple basics like Holmes.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
The formula includes hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, giving it a soothing, balm-like feel that softens lips overnight.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
The suppleness of the band softens Williams’ tales of despair, transforming them into songs of solace, not outrage.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
When heated above about 99 °F, the polymer softens, allowing a magnetic field to stretch, bend, or twist it.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softens
Verb
-
When CEOs treat financial advice as a substitute for judgment, leadership starts to erode, decisions slow down, and conviction weakens.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Trump’s focus on the Western Hemisphere — as a show of might that weakens China’s geostrategic influence, Nikkei wrote.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Hunter trade alleviates the logjam in the backcourt, clears the way for rookie Nique Clifford to get more playing time and opens a roster spot for the Kings to convert rookie two-way center Dylan Cardwell to a standard NBA contract.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Similarly, having a closed kitchen alleviates some of the pressure of reducing visual clutter.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Why Stock Pickers Win More With Multi-Asset Portfolios Market behaviors differ, but a diverse asset mix mitigates volatility.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Each unit’s weekly cleaning regimen includes completely emptying the waste with the vacuum truck’s suction wand, adding deodorizer that breaks down future waste and mitigates bad smells, scrubbing and disinfecting every surface inside the unit, and restocking paper goods.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Mickey Todiwala,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a healthy economy, the middle and working classes provide a floor of stable demand that cushions this volatility.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
This structure cushions physical contact and detects impact forces in real time, improving safety during close human–robot interaction.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Moving water is less likely to freeze and relieves that pressure.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Plush cushioning on the insoles relieves tired feet during the day, making these comfortable enough to wear for hours.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This helps create a barrier of warmer air that buffers the foliage against the cold.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Brewer starts fast, eases past Granbury Carter Scott scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as Fort Worth Brewer jumped out to an early lead and then cruised to a 79-44 win over Granbury in a District 5-5A game on Tuesday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Departing from Moynihan Train Hall in the heart of Manhattan, the train eases out from beneath the skyline before slipping into New Jersey, where city boroughs gradually give way to quieter suburbs.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Softens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softens. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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