soften the blow

== English == === Pronunciation === === Verb === soften the blow (third-person singular simple present softens the blow, present participle softening the blow, simple past and past participle softened the blow) (figuratively) To reduce the negative impact of something. Synonym: cushion the blow === See also === sugarcoat the pill === Further reading === “soften the blow”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.