as in emollient
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as in mellowing
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alleviating
to lessen the shock of
had tried to soften the blow of her rejection to his marriage proposal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of softening
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher overnight, buoyed by a softening in global oil prices on Tuesday as the G7 met to discuss the possible use of emergency crude reserves to ease the supply crunch.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Shoppers rave about its fine-line softening and deeply hydrating properties that even work for sensitive skin.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Osteomalacia, a softening of the bones, was rare but occurred about twice as often in GLP-1 users, according to the study, which has not yet been peer reviewed.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Osteomalacia, a condition involving the softening of bones due to impaired mineralization, was rare but occurred about twice as often in the GLP-1 group.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 4 Mar. 2026
To speed the softening process, start by making a small incision in each tomato with a paring knife.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
Midweek brings a relational softening as Venus enters Pisces on February 10th, joining Mercury in the zone of partnerships, collaboration, and one-on-one dynamics.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Since vitamin D helps to keep your bones strong, a deficiency can lead to bone softening and subsequent bone pain and fractures.
—Mark Stibich, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2026
Minty Mellon, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
So far lawmakers haven’t, slowing, softening and then shooting down a bipartisan measure that would have enlisted the state Department of Agriculture to take on the burgeoning pest.
—Mark Dee
march 31, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Some, like Fox host Mark Levin, are rhetorically softening the ground in support of a wider military effort inside Iran.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
This comes as the labor market shows signs of softening, with a recent decline in jobs, adding another layer of complexity for the Federal Reserve.
—Paulina Likos,zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Christian leaders adjusted Jesus’s teachings accordingly, often altering and almost always softening them for public consumption.
—Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
Save Our Heritage Organisation — took legal action this week in an effort to block the city from softening its historic preservation rules.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The biggest red flag for backcountry travelers is rapidly softening snow.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday as policymakers face growing signs of a softening job market, even as the war in Iran puts more upward pressure on prices.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
As moisture begins to build in the room, your paint will start to bubble from the softening of the wall due to the higher humidity levels.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher overnight, buoyed by a softening in global oil prices on Tuesday as the G7 met to discuss the possible use of emergency crude reserves to ease the supply crunch.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Shoppers rave about its fine-line softening and deeply hydrating properties that even work for sensitive skin.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Osteomalacia, a softening of the bones, was rare but occurred about twice as often in GLP-1 users, according to the study, which has not yet been peer reviewed.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Osteomalacia, a condition involving the softening of bones due to impaired mineralization, was rare but occurred about twice as often in the GLP-1 group.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 4 Mar. 2026
To speed the softening process, start by making a small incision in each tomato with a paring knife.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
Midweek brings a relational softening as Venus enters Pisces on February 10th, joining Mercury in the zone of partnerships, collaboration, and one-on-one dynamics.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Since vitamin D helps to keep your bones strong, a deficiency can lead to bone softening and subsequent bone pain and fractures.
—Mark Stibich, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
On the other hand, taupe bags work just as well with bold color pairings, softening them with a sense of ease.
—Minty Mellon, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
So far lawmakers haven’t, slowing, softening and then shooting down a bipartisan measure that would have enlisted the state Department of Agriculture to take on the burgeoning pest.
—Mark Dee
march 31, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Some, like Fox host Mark Levin, are rhetorically softening the ground in support of a wider military effort inside Iran.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
This comes as the labor market shows signs of softening, with a recent decline in jobs, adding another layer of complexity for the Federal Reserve.
—Paulina Likos,zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Christian leaders adjusted Jesus’s teachings accordingly, often altering and almost always softening them for public consumption.
—Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
Save Our Heritage Organisation — took legal action this week in an effort to block the city from softening its historic preservation rules.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The biggest red flag for backcountry travelers is rapidly softening snow.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday as policymakers face growing signs of a softening job market, even as the war in Iran puts more upward pressure on prices.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softening
Adjective
-
Barrier cream launches this time of year are plentiful, but there’s one that’s really worth your attention: Bubble’s Soft Swerve Barrier Restore Balm, an intensely emollient moisturizer that coats your skin in a nourishing formula that rewards you with a soft, supple complexion over night.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
21 Jan. 2026
-
When shopping for a hydrating lip balm, focus on nourishing, emollient ingredients rather than those that create a temporary tingle.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The spring and summer months will elicit much mellowing.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Here’s a look at my experience, which—sadly—included no dogs, but has had a subtly mellowing effect on my own mood.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Anthropic's showdown with the Pentagon this year left OpenAI looking like the bad guy, and just this week Bloomberg reported that demand is weakening for private shares of OpenAI in the secondary market.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But those safeguards appear to be weakening.—
Jennifer Elias,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The move allowed the Senate to effectively end the shutdown and leave town for its preplanned recess, while also alleviating the long waits at airports throughout the country ahead of a time of heavy travel in early April for Easter and Passover.—
Justin Papp,Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
-
There are no quick fixes to alleviating the state’s housing woes.—
Jeff Montejano,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Keep expectations lenient, and keep actions grounded.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Critics are no longer holding back, openly questioning how many chances Woods should get, and whether golf’s governing bodies have been too lenient for too long.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Will cutting bouquets to bring indoors affect the flowering of the plants?—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and pumpkins need more frequent watering during flowering and while developing fruit.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite his impassive eyes, balding pate, and slit of a smile, Robert Duvall could be volcanic and melancholic, mysterious and straightforward, vengeful and merciful.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In a way, this can seem merciful.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In one scene, as Grace walks through the tunnel to first meet Rocky, Fraser explains that the tunnel itself went through an evolution.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Think evolution, not reinvention for a modern matte finish that feels more dimensional, skin-like, and adaptable to different coverage preferences.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Softening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softening. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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