soften up
phrasal verb
softened up; softening up; softens up
1
: to treat (someone) very well or kindly in order to make that person more likely to help one, give one something, etc.
He tried to soften her up by buying her flowers.
2
: to weaken (an enemy) through military attacks
They used artillery to soften up the enemy's defenses before launching a full-scale attack.
Examples of soften up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Brooklyn Shoulder Bag 39 softens up the biker-chic look with its relaxed silhouette.
—
Claire Sullivan, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024
Regardless, things are going to soften up in June as you get set free in the direction of safety and clarity.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2024
Step 5: Behar recommends letting this sit for at least 15-20 minutes to soften up the debris and make scrubbing easier.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2024
The waffle side, which was originally a little rougher, softened up a bit post-wash.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2024
The market has already been softened up a bit by the belief that the job market is slowing .
—Bob Pisani, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2024
Then, apply that paste directly to the baking sheet.
Step 5: Behar recommends letting this sit for at least 15-20 minutes to soften up the debris and make scrubbing easier.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2024
This was the outcome Democrats had hoped to avoid by foregoing a competitive primary process: softening up Biden for Trump and not ending up with a new and improved standard-bearer.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 July 2024
Sanctions can play a useful role in preparing the ground for a military intervention by softening up the regime and demonstrating that the intervening country has exhausted all options except force.
—James Dobbins, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2019
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Claire Sullivan, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024
Regardless, things are going to soften up in June as you get set free in the direction of safety and clarity.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2024
Step 5: Behar recommends letting this sit for at least 15-20 minutes to soften up the debris and make scrubbing easier.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2024
The waffle side, which was originally a little rougher, softened up a bit post-wash.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2024
The market has already been softened up a bit by the belief that the job market is slowing .
—Bob Pisani, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2024
Then, apply that paste directly to the baking sheet.
Step 5: Behar recommends letting this sit for at least 15-20 minutes to soften up the debris and make scrubbing easier.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2024
This was the outcome Democrats had hoped to avoid by foregoing a competitive primary process: softening up Biden for Trump and not ending up with a new and improved standard-bearer.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 July 2024
Sanctions can play a useful role in preparing the ground for a military intervention by softening up the regime and demonstrating that the intervening country has exhausted all options except force.
—James Dobbins, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2019
Dictionary Entries Near soften up
Cite this Entry
“Soften up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soften%20up. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share