1
chiefly dialectal
: a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid
2
: a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture
standard operating procedure; standing operating procedure
Synonyms
Examples of sop in a Sentence
Noun
as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement
Verb
sopped the sponge with the detergent and began scrubbing the floor vigorously
my book fell in the swimming pool and was thoroughly sopped before I could fish it out
Recent Examples on the Web
Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
His most recent sop to progressives is nationwide rent control, an idea almost unanimously detested by economists.
—Catherine Rampell, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 5 July 2024
Then, simply squeeze out excess water so the item is not sopping wet and put it in the dryer with the rest of the load.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sop 
Noun
Several environmental groups have come out against them, especially the hubs focused on blue hydrogen, which their foes consider a sop to the fossil-fuel industry with high potential for carbon dioxide leaks.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
His most recent sop to progressives is nationwide rent control, an idea almost unanimously detested by economists.
—Catherine Rampell, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Verb
Throwing that sopping wet swimsuit in the dryer on high heat or setting it out to dry in direct sunlight might seem like easy ways to dry a swimsuit quickly, but both methods could ruin it.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 5 July 2024
Then, simply squeeze out excess water so the item is not sopping wet and put it in the dryer with the rest of the load.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sop
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sop
Cite this Entry
“Sop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sop. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sop
1 of 2 noun1
chiefly dialect
: a piece of food dipped or soaked in a liquid (as bread dipped in milk or gravy)
2
: a bribe or gift for soothing or winning approval
sop
2 of 2 verb
sopped; sopping
1
a
: to soak or dip in or as if in liquid
b
: to wet thoroughly
2
: to mop or soak up
sopping up gravy with bread
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