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softening

  • present participle
    of soften.
    soften
    verb (used with object)
    to make soft or softer.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

While we were swooning over “WandaVision” back in 2021, we couldn’t have known Marvel was softening us up for the AI revolution.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

Cardholder spending in September tracked by Royal Bank of Canada, the country’s largest lender, showed that customers were still shopping but the pace of growth is softening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Iowa’s Grinnell College, with some 1,700 undergraduates, has also seen softening demand in the major since enrollment peaked in 2022.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

“The French debt selloff, the rise in volatility and, most importantly, the softening of interest rates all conspired to send the Swiss franc a lot higher.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

It had been icy that morning, but the sun had come out, softening the ground ice into mush.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals