1
as in weakens
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 alleviates
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 softens
Rain that gets through cracks in the pavement softens the soil beneath, causing more deformation under traffic loading and leading to more cracking, according to Jonathan Stewart, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
—
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Straddling formalwear codes and casualwear, Jang softens traditional silhouettes via unexpected fabric pairings, texture contrast, and use of hybrid materials.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
As demand softens, brands may need to rethink accessibility.
—Mecca Pryor, Essence, 13 Jan. 2026
Layering different fabrics softens the room and brings in color and comfort.
—Anyssa Roberts, The Spruce, 12 Jan. 2026
January softens your heart while asking you to get honest about your emotional foundations.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
As evening unfolds, the pull between needs and rules softens.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
This is seen in conditions such as rickets, which softens and weakens the bones, often seen in children.
—Anthea Levi, Health, 7 Jan. 2026
As the moon moves through the week, your focus softens and expands.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softens
Verb
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An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
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Ignoring this reality weakens any serious climate plan.—
Verb
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Unrivaled alleviates the need for that by allowing players to remain stateside in a competitive league.—
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As with many treatments that involve the brain, there are theories about how the device alleviates depression, but little certainty, says Wilkinson.—
Verb
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The effort theoretically mitigates many of the problems of data centers on Earth, including their power and water usage and heat generation.—
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The team revealed that the PDA asymmetric photothermal layer not only effectively addresses the issue of insufficient sustained power generation caused by water adsorption saturation but also mitigates the unstable moisture gradient resulting from excessive water evaporation.—
Verb
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In a healthy economy, the middle and working classes provide a floor of stable demand that cushions this volatility.—
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This structure cushions physical contact and detects impact forces in real time, improving safety during close human–robot interaction.—
Verb
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With Medi-Cal costs rising and nursing home capacity strained, PACE relieves stress on the elder care system and budget.—
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His termination for cause, a designation that relieves Michigan of the obligation to pay him, could lead to a breach of contract and defamation lawsuit.—
Verb
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This helps create a barrier of warmer air that buffers the foliage against the cold.—
Verb
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Smart spending feels soothing as the emotional Moon eases your 2nd House of Cash, collaborating with powerful Pluto in your 4th House of Nostalgia.—
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Cold weather eases just a bit ahead of another strong cold front on Saturday.—
Cite this Entry
“Softens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softens. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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