as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the athlete, softened by the long period of convalescence, had to begin his training program almost from scratch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in weakened
to diminish the physical strength of
three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tempered
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 softened
Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
McDermott has softened on those decisions recently.
—Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Add garlic, celery, and onion to pan; cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
—Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2024
However, Carter has since softened her stance on the patches.
—Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The signature Beam nutty grain flavor is present, but it’s softened with layers of milk and dark chocolate, espresso bean, dulce de leche, fig, and a backbone of smoky oak.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2024
Add mushrooms, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
—Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024
Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until apricots are softened.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2024
Add the peppers and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
While the emphasis on ESG has softened, the focus on sustainable, scalable growth remains a guiding principle.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
McDermott has softened on those decisions recently.
—Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Add garlic, celery, and onion to pan; cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
—Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2024
However, Carter has since softened her stance on the patches.
—Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The signature Beam nutty grain flavor is present, but it’s softened with layers of milk and dark chocolate, espresso bean, dulce de leche, fig, and a backbone of smoky oak.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2024
Add mushrooms, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
—Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024
Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until apricots are softened.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2024
Add the peppers and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened
Adjective
-
The team continues to play great with a different weak spot each season, so maybe that’s part of the excitement and drama of being a fan of the franchise now. · 5h 1m ago Thanks Chandler, good stuff as always.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
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Its economy is already facing a deepening malaise, brought on by a property crisis, mounting government debt and weak consumer spending.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Those at high-risk for listeria infection are newborns, those who are pregnant, have weakened immune systems, and those aged 65 or older.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
3 Jan. 2025
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But the militants, while greatly weakened, have repeatedly regrouped, often after Israeli forces withdraw from areas.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Opportunities were fewer and further between after that as City began to pick apart Chelsea’s feeble press, but three minutes before his substitution, Jackson was sent into a one-on-one with Stones in the left channel.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Each, in its own way, has exposed the feeble condition of progressive politics.—
Ian Tuttle,
National Review,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Downside momentum has alleviated from an intermediate-term perspective, evident in the weekly MACD histogram.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2025
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The Kings haven’t exactly alleviated Kopitar of shutdown minutes duty, making this offensive explosion all the more impressive.—
Shayna Goldman,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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With a focus on soft, natural tones, sustainable materials and biophilic elements like plants and greenery, this trend transforms hospitality spaces into peaceful sanctuaries.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
-
But the Netanyahu government pressed on, defying all its critics and continuing to pound its foes, betting that a brutal demonstration of effective hard power would more than compensate for a loss of soft power—and within its brutal region, might even constitute its own form of soft power, as well.—
Gideon Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Better yet, these risks are mitigated without the company having to invest in detection technologies upfront.—
Danny Jenkins,
Forbes,
19 Dec. 2024
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There's general agreement that harms like bias should be mitigated, but disagreements emerge on how exactly to do that.—
Maria Curi,
Axios,
17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Connecticut is set to pay nearly $5.9 million to the family of a disabled man who was wrongly imprisoned for more than two decades before he was freed in 2015 when his 1992 conviction in the murder and rape of an 88-year-old grandmother was overturned.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
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An Arizona grandmother has been charged with caging her mentally disabled teenage granddaughter and abusing her to death earlier this week.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near softened
Cite this Entry
“Softened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softened. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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