DictionarysopAbsorbing liquid
verb

sop

Take up liquid with absorbent material.

She sopped up the spill with a towel.

Etymology

The noun for soaked food supplied the verb for taking up liquid. Sopping something up transfers the same absorption to cloth or another suitable material.

More examples

  • He used bread to sop up the sauce.
  • The cloth quickly sopped up the water.
  • They were sopping the liquid from the floor.

Forms

sop · sops · sopped · sopping

Similar words

absorb
Absorb is the general verb; sop up often involves using cloth or bread to collect liquid.
blot
Blot absorbs by pressing; sop can involve soaking up a larger amount.