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
Relevance
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
The city’s proposal would soften that requirement by automatically making any area eligible if free Sunday parking goes away in that area.
—
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Support softens considerably for deportations of all people in the country illegally, with 43% in favor and 37% opposed.
—Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Moody interiors cancel out the sunny exteriors with a dark, natural color palette softened by plenty of textured rugs and furnishings.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025
In another era, rumors of toxicity on set would’ve been quietly addressed by teams, softened by strategy.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soften
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Support softens considerably for deportations of all people in the country illegally, with 43% in favor and 37% opposed.
—Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Moody interiors cancel out the sunny exteriors with a dark, natural color palette softened by plenty of textured rugs and furnishings.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025
In another era, rumors of toxicity on set would’ve been quietly addressed by teams, softened by strategy.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 5 Apr. 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
-
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 13 Apr. 2025.
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