soften someone's cough
To completely negate or undermine someone's argument or position on a topic.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The evidence will soften his cough during the meeting.”
“When the manager presented the actual budget reports, it really softened his cough regarding the need for new equipment.”
“The sudden revelation of the hidden documents effectively softened his cough, leaving him with no choice but to abandon his aggressive stance.”
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another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
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answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
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answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
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apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
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bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
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bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
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bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
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be someone's to lose
To be anticipated to be won by someone.
Last updated August 10, 2026