soak up

phrasal verb

soaked up; soaking up; soaks up

: to take in (liquid) : absorb

The rag soaked up most of the water.

: to enjoy feeling or experiencing (something pleasant) in usually a slow or relaxed way

We went to the beach and soaked up the sun/sunshine all afternoon.

I sat at my table for an hour soaking up the atmosphere of the café.

The performers stood on the stage, soaking up the applause.

: to learn and remember (something) quickly

He eagerly soaked up every word she said.

She has an ability to soak up new information very quickly.

: to use a large amount of (money, supplies, etc.)

This project is soaking up resources that could be used elsewhere.

Examples of soak up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Kourtney Kardashian Barker is soaking up her Mother’s Day surprise! —

Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024 Always soak up spills as soon as possible to avoid stains and put your coaster collection to work to avoid unsightly rings on your marble tabletop. —

Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2024 As temperatures increase, many travelers make the journey to their favorite East Coast beach towns to soak up the restorative, nostalgic nature that comes with salt water, sand, and good old-fashioned summer fun. —

Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024 Something that Majors is soaking up advice about herself is motherhood. —

Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 May 2024 You might be tempted to regard early retirees as layabouts, soaking up sunshine while everyone else toils. —

Amy X. Wang, New York Times, 7 May 2024 Without particularly planning it, The Force has taken on the lilt and rhythmic contours that Vincent-Brown soaked up as a child playing in Catholic church services and accompanying steel band orchestras. —

Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024 Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon are soaking up the sun side by side. —

Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024 This allows the shrimp to thaw gradually. Place the bag of frozen shrimp on a paper-towel lined baking sheet or platter so that any leaks from the bag are soaked up. —

Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soak up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.