soften up

phrasal verb

softened up; softening up; softens up

1

: to treat (someone) very well or kindly in order to make that person more likely to help one, give one something, etc.

He tried to soften her up by buying her flowers.

2

: to weaken (an enemy) through military attacks

They used artillery to soften up the enemy's defenses before launching a full-scale attack.

Examples of soften up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This helps prevent wilting, but also softens up and removes dirt and bugs on the stems. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025

This softens up the client and convinces them to pay just a fraction of the value in consultant fees. —Andrew Binns, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Israel softened up the target; America delivered the coup de grace. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 July 2025

Ideal for making holes in the ground, transferring plants, and softening up soil, the tools are manufactured from sturdy carbon steel but are also lightweight and easy to manipulate. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 17 June 2025

Then, apply that paste directly to the baking sheet. Step 5: Behar recommends letting this sit for at least 15-20 minutes to soften up the debris and make scrubbing easier. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 June 2025

Since the end of the era of Richard Nixon– a president who, in secret, tried to pressure then-Fed chief Arthur Burns to soften up on policy ahead of the 1972 election – his successors have all supported an independent Fed so that the central bank can keep the economy on an even keel. —Ron Insana, CNBC, 26 June 2025

After water, in some fields the engineers turn to injecting steam, which further softens up stubborn crude oil. —Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

But these 100% French linen sheets softened up dramatically. —Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025

Rhymes for soften up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup