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
Relevance
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
The onions and peppers blister and soften while keeping their texture, and the shrimp develop deep color in just a couple of minutes.
—
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 May 2026
That has softened the demand side just enough to offset part of the supply shock.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Light denim washes soften core silhouettes, balanced by structured bomber jackets that pull in New York City streetwear reference.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
And in many quarters, the tone is softening.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 May 2026
That has softened the demand side just enough to offset part of the supply shock.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Light denim washes soften core silhouettes, balanced by structured bomber jackets that pull in New York City streetwear reference.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
And in many quarters, the tone is softening.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
-
The weakened 65-year-old cartel will remain with its five original members—Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela, as well as the Saudis and Kuwaitis—and six oil-producing African nations.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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This can weaken and compromise your home’s structural integrity, which could lead to safety hazards and expensive repairs.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Experts and officials say the progress is largely thanks to the billions of dollars in public spending statewide, expanding street outreach, boosting rental assistance and converting motels into shelters and supportive housing, among other efforts to alleviate homelessness.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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Alternatively, suggesting that the chat switch mediums (from iMessage to email, for example) may also alleviate some of the pressure to read or respond immediately to messages.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The strong exports helped to mitigate the weaknesses in domestic demand, but not enough to fully offset it, said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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The argument for keeping an underperforming manager tends to centre on whether there were enough mitigating circumstances behind a bad season, and whether the club can use their summer to make the correct changes in player recruitment and wider infrastructure to fix things.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Don’t let that hesitation temper it.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Meanwhile, the rate increase could temper long-term economic growth and expose the sky-high valuations seen recently in some chip stocks.—
Liz Napolitano,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Decades of research indicate that psychological flexibility plays an important role in buffering the negative effects of stress and a broad range of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.—
Joan M. Cook,
Time,
12 May 2026
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Multiple security checkpoints buffered the site from the street, and officers from both agencies maintained a heavy presence throughout the groundbreaking ceremony.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Some electric vehicle and hybrid drivers are able to cushion the devastating impact of rising gas prices due to the Iran War.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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But many lower-income households no longer have the post-pandemic supports, like stimulus checks, that helped cushion their budgets during the last energy crisis in 2022.—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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