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
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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
Key News Asian equities rebounded except for Mainland China and India as President Donald Trump appeared to soften his tariff talk, though folks might be getting tariff PTSD or started to ignore it.
—
Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
That said, Wall Street has risen over the past three days — investors, perhaps, are cautiously optimistic that President Donald Trump will soften his stance on reciprocal tariffs.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2025
Hinch prioritizes honesty with his players but knows that does not soften the blow.
—Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until vegetables soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
That said, Wall Street has risen over the past three days — investors, perhaps, are cautiously optimistic that President Donald Trump will soften his stance on reciprocal tariffs.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2025
Hinch prioritizes honesty with his players but knows that does not soften the blow.
—Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until vegetables soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
Verb
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One way that could happen would be for foreign countries to weaken their currency to make the same product cheaper in dollars for tariff purposes, without raising the end cost to the consumer.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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More broadly, consumer sentiment has declined and retail sales growth has weakened, reflecting the uncertainty of customers over where the economy is headed.—
Harry Holzer,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The surfeit of interested workers has not alleviated the labor shortage.—
Emily Witt,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
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Starting the hiring process doesn’t alleviate their workload in the interim.—
Nolan Hout,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Communities across the country have used program funds to help their cities and towns mitigate disasters, such as raising roads to keep them out of floodwaters or building underground storage units to prepare for droughts.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
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Conclusion Including international investments in your portfolio can mitigate home bias and provide diversification benefits, reducing risk and potentially enhancing returns.—
Cicely Jones,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Consumers may enjoy lower prices on natural diamonds in the coming years, and those holding diamonds as assets should temper expectations about value retention or appreciation.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Now voters in District 2 — which stretches from Jack London Square to the south side of Piedmont — have an opportunity to help politically temper the City Council by replacing Bas with someone who takes public safety and budget-balancing seriously.—
East Bay Times editorial,
The Mercury News,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Thus, taking action by finding groups and communities that are like-minded can buffer the feeling of helplessness and isolation.—
Nicole Lipkin,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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Still, some experts point to ways long-term savers can buffer losses and ease their nerves.—
J.J. McCorvey,
NBC News,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Federal Reserve could cushion the blow of tariffs on the economy by cutting interest rates, which can encourage companies and households to borrow and spend.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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Build an emergency fund to cushion the blow when life throws the unexpected your way. 7.—
Brian Kelly,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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