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

See Examples For:

soften up

“All these factors slow or stop any future beef herd expansion in the country, and limiting the beef supply will not soften up retail prices for the consumer.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

“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 ● Oct. 3, 2025

That could be because UnitedHealth did not actually soften up.

From Slate ● May 14, 2025

When you show up repeatedly, and you ask questions in good faith and show curiosity, people soften up and some of their initial skepticism starts to evolve.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2023

Ms. Washington gave me a minute to soften up and give in, because she didn’t know about my heart and its resolution, and that she was dealing with a mighty and unbending will.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Related Words

• dominate
• impress
• inspire
• overrule
• persuade