soften

“And over time, it will soften the entire universe,” he said.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

Investigators assigned to the case were asking some of the accused officers leading questions, which seemed designed to soften their actions, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

He gives her novels to soften the blow, as she loves to read.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

“Investors will be focused on where management is seeing demand soften versus remaining resilient, and whether current earnings growth can be sustained as capex trends increasingly diverge across sectors,” the bank says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

We looked long at each other, and I saw him soften a bit.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

The album was preceded in May by “Rough and Twisted,” a wandering blues number with riffs like barbed wire, and “In the Stars,” which softens arena rock with polished backing vocals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Buying equity stakes rather than owning depreciating fleets softens that, but the line between “demand layer” and “co-investor in hardware” thins with each deal.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

The additives lower the temperature at which the glass softens and make it flow more easily when heated, which could simplify manufacturing.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

While that’s going, sauté thinly sliced onion in a pan until it softens, then add black beans, salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin.

From Salon ● May 5, 2026

As my heart calms down, as my breath softens, I get up to work on my altar.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

And though Fred had wanted his son to pursue an education, he softened his stance, supporting Freddie’s dream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

The Hong Kong insurer’s Chinese mainland visitor business growth softened on a high base, the analyst notes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Hiring appears to have softened since a burst of new job creation in the spring.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Rather than fully melting the metals, both methods softened them enough to form and deposit the cemented carbide.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Once more the Abbot’s heart softened towards the little mouse.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Indeed, according to well-placed sources there has been a slight softening of Alvarez's stance in recent days, although not enough yet to get anyone at Arsenal excited.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Since the pandemic recovery, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates ages 22 to 27 has been elevated compared with the rate overall, pointing to softening demand for educated entry-level workers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

“The labor market picture is little changed overall, with some softening still evident,” ONS Director of Economic Statistics Liz McKeown said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

I could also get behind some kind of reclamation for Daemon, who experienced some parental softening this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Even the bricks of the house are softening, becoming tactile; if I leaned against them they’d be warm and yielding.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood