soften up

British  

verb

1. to make or become soft

2. (tr) to weaken (an enemy's defences) by shelling, bombing, etc

3. (tr) to weaken the resistance of (a person) by persuasive talk, advances, etc

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soften up Idioms  

1. Reduce resistance, as in His sales motto was: a fine lunch and a few drinks often will soften up a prospective customer. This expression transfers lessening of physical hardness to lessening mental resistance. It was first used, however, in World War II, where it meant “reduce the enemy's defenses by preliminary bombing.” [c. 1940]

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Example Sentences

The royal treatment is a variation on what has become an oft-repeated strategy in which hosts provide lavish receptions to soften up the visiting U.S. president, with the goal of winning relief from U.S. tariffs and lessening the demands that go with them.

From The Wall Street Journal

“If we froze everything in time, I think you’d say this is a fine labor market, but the direction in which things are pointing suggests a risk that it could soften up further,” Feroli said.

From The Wall Street Journal

That could be because UnitedHealth did not actually soften up.

From Slate

“Sunny” was never a family-friendly show, and from what McElhenney and Brunson tease about its FXX-appropriate response to this “Abbott Elementary” entry, don’t expect it to soften up for the under-21 crowd.

From Salon

The silvery green foliage of white sage makes for great accents in bouquets during cooler winter months, but come spring, when the plant is starting to bloom, the leaves tend to soften up and go limp, she said, making them sad choices for arrangements.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dominate
• impress
• inspire
• overrule
• persuade