Soften Up

Synonyms of soften up

• relax
• mellow
• weaken

Antonyms of soften up

• harden
• toughen
• harden up

Collocations of soften up

gentle touch

Frequency: 80 %

She used a gentle touch to soften up the dough.

calm down

Frequency: 75 %

He needed to calm down before he could have a rational conversation.

tone down

Frequency: 70 %

She had to tone down her enthusiasm to seem more professional.

loosen up

Frequency: 65 %

After a few drinks, he started to loosen up and enjoy the party.

melt away

Frequency: 60 %

The ice cream started to melt away in the sun.

Idiomatic Expressions for soften up

• Phrase: soften someone up
  Meaning: To make someone more receptive or agreeable by being kind or persuasive
  Usage: I tried to soften up my parents before asking if I could borrow the car for the weekend.