Soften up
phrasal verb
To make someone or something less resistant or become more receptive.
The advertising campaign is meant to soften up consumers before the new product hits the shelves.
Often appears as...
- soften up consumers
- soften up opponents
phrasal verb
In cooking, it means to make something (usually food) soft or tender by heating it or soaking it in liquid.
You need to soften up the butter before mixing it into the batter.
Often appears as...
- soften up butter
- soften up vegetables
phrasal verb
In military, it means to weaken the enemy's defense through artillery fire or air strikes before a ground attack.
The air force was instructed to soften up the enemy positions before sending in ground troops.
Often appears as...
- soften up enemy positions
- soften up defenses
Usage tips
Technical
phrasal verb
To make someone or something less resistant or become more receptive.
The advertising campaign is meant to soften up consumers before the new product hits the shelves.
Often appears as...
- soften up consumers
- soften up opponents
phrasal verb
In cooking, it means to make something (usually food) soft or tender by heating it or soaking it in liquid.
You need to soften up the butter before mixing it into the batter.
Often appears as...
- soften up butter
- soften up vegetables
phrasal verb
In military, it means to weaken the enemy's defense through artillery fire or air strikes before a ground attack.
The air force was instructed to soften up the enemy positions before sending in ground troops.
Often appears as...
- soften up enemy positions
- soften up defenses
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Persuasion Strategy
Used in contexts where someone is trying to gradually convince others, often subtly.
The CEO's speech was designed to soften up the board for the upcoming changes.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Preparation
It suggests preparing someone emotionally for something that is about to happen.
They used compliments to soften up the crowd before announcing the bad news.
Pro Tip 3/3Strategic Timing
Indicates timing is key; the phrase is often about laying groundwork ahead of time.
The team meetings were to soften up employees to the idea of restructuring.
Pro Tip 1/3Persuasion Strategy
Used in contexts where someone is trying to gradually convince others, often subtly.
The CEO's speech was designed to soften up the board for the upcoming changes.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Preparation
It suggests preparing someone emotionally for something that is about to happen.
They used compliments to soften up the crowd before announcing the bad news.
Pro Tip 3/3Strategic Timing
Indicates timing is key; the phrase is often about laying groundwork ahead of time.
The team meetings were to soften up employees to the idea of restructuring.
Pro Tip 1/3Persuasion Strategy
Used in contexts where someone is trying to gradually convince others, often subtly.
The CEO's speech was designed to soften up the board for the upcoming changes.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Preparation
It suggests preparing someone emotionally for something that is about to happen.
They used compliments to soften up the crowd before announcing the bad news.
Pro Tip 3/3Strategic Timing
Indicates timing is key; the phrase is often about laying groundwork ahead of time.
The team meetings were to soften up employees to the idea of restructuring.
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