soften up
Third Person
softens up
Present Participle
softening up
Past Tense
softened up
Past Participle
softened up
1
to be kind to someone with the intention of increasing the chances of them agreeing to one's request
- She decided to soften up her colleague by complimenting their work before discussing the project changes.
- Before asking for a favor, he tried to soften up his friend by expressing gratitude for their ongoing support.
- The manager softened up the team by acknowledging their hard work before introducing new challenges.
- He hoped to soften his parents up by helping with household chores before asking to borrow the car.
- The salesperson aimed to soften the customer up with personalized recommendations before proposing the purchase.
2
to strategically weaken an enemy, making them more vulnerable to subsequent attacks or negotiations
- Diplomats engaged in negotiations to soften up the rival nation before discussing more contentious issues.
- The military conducted a series of airstrikes to soften up the enemy's defenses before the ground assault.
- Economic sanctions were implemented to soften up the hostile regime and force them to reconsider their actions.
- The intelligence agency employed covert operations to soften up the rival organization before a major confrontation.
- The coach devised a training regimen to physically soften the opposing team up before the championship game.
3
to make something less hard or rough
- The constant stream of water over the years began to soften up the jagged edges of the stone steps.
- Regular application of lotion helps soften up dry and rough skin, leaving it smoother.
- Using a file, he worked to soften the rough edges up on the wooden surface.
- To prepare for the renovation, they decided to soften the ground up by watering it thoroughly.
- Using a file, he worked to soften the rough edges up on the wooden surface.