soak up
Idioms-
Absorb, take in, as in I lay there, soaking up the sun , or She often went to hear poets read their work, soaking up every word . This usage, alluding to absorbing a liquid, dates from the mid-1500s.
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Drink to excess, as in She can really soak up her beer .
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.
Southampton City Council regulates the maximum fares for licensed hackney carriage vehicles within the city boundary, which means drivers have to "bite the bullet" and soak up those increased costs, McMillan said.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
He’s tried to soak up as much as he can from the veteran stars he’s been able to spend time with.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
Klaebo and his Norwegian teammate Einar Hedegart comfortably won the team sprint free event, with Klaebo slowing before the finish line to soak up the applause of the crowd.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
He came to Milan with his friends to soak up the city’s architecture and history, even grabbing cheap last-minute tickets for the opera to witness its majestic interior.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
They passed around the pail of stew, using pieces of bread to scoop out the meat and to soak up the chili.
From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
