soak up

phrasal verb

soaked up; soaking up; soaks up

1

: to take in (liquid) : absorb

The rag soaked up most of the water.

2

: to enjoy feeling or experiencing (something pleasant) in usually a slow or relaxed way

We went to the beach and soaked up the sun/sunshine all afternoon.

I sat at my table for an hour soaking up the atmosphere of the café.

The performers stood on the stage, soaking up the applause.

3

: to learn and remember (something) quickly

He eagerly soaked up every word she said.

She has an ability to soak up new information very quickly.

4

: to use a large amount of (money, supplies, etc.)

This project is soaking up resources that could be used elsewhere.

Examples of soak up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gisele Bündchen recently soaked up the sun with boyfriend Joaquim Valente, weeks after giving birth to the couple's first child. —Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025

Kelly says her favorite hot pot ingredients are beef, lamb, seaweed knots and noodles, which are added towards the end to soak up all the previously flavors. —Lawrence Yee, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025

The town of around 20,000 people happens to be situated on the St. Lucie River and the Atlantic Ocean, which means visitors are privy to endless opportunities to soak up waterfront views and dive right in once the Florida heat gets to be too much. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2025

When cruising at more relaxed speeds, the car soaked up the decidedly rough road surfaces extremely well for a car with such petite dimensions. —Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for soak up

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