softening

Breaking in a new glove can take time, so Hill said many players will take a new glove out for drills and batting practice, softening it up to make it game ready.

But this was not necessarily a softening of tone toward Hamas.

This week, Walt Disney Co. acknowledged softening some of its DEI policies, including retiring a “diversity and inclusion” performance factor in its executive compensation calculations.

"However, providing employment conditions don't deteriorate markedly from a more recent softening, buyer demand should hold up relatively well and, taking all this into account, we're continuing to anticipate modest house price growth this year."

Could the dinner indicate a softening of relations?