soften up
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle up
Meanings
Gradually weaken someone's resistance so they become easier to persuade
Why “up”? People or conditions get ready before the main action begins.
“He bought her flowers to soften her up.”
“The ads softened voters up before the speech.”
Test yourself
“He bought her flowers to soften her up.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
line up
Same up pattern: getting ready
Arrange people or things in a straight row; Organise or arrange something in advance; Position one object so it is straight with another; Wait in a queue, especially in American English; Identify a suspect or candidate by placing them with others
warm up
Same up pattern: getting ready
Become warmer over time; Reheat food, drink or another object; Do gentle exercises to prepare your body for harder activity; Become more relaxed, lively or enthusiastic, of a person or audience; Start to like or accept someone or something; Entertain an audience to put them in a good mood before the main act
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