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

Bobbing on the ocean’s surface, the value becomes clear of slowing down, breathing deeply and soaking up the pleasures of the other Keys. —Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025

Ramping up and down to match demand takes time and costs money, but with batteries soaking up some of the variability, thermal power plants can stay closer to their most efficient pace, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping costs in check. —Umair Irfan, Wired News, 26 Apr. 2025

Forest will happily soak up pressure and counter with speed, while City will look for possession and territorial dominance, setting a slow pace to the game. —Sam Tighe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

The two were seen soaking up some sun together in Europe last September, where the Euphoria star joined his girlfriend and her parents, Loughlin and Mossimo, on vacation in Sardinia, Italy. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for soak up

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