In fact, Stokes has already seen slight softening in the D.C. area. (cnbc.com)
i was given some carrots from someone else's CSA box & thought i waited a day too long... but the slight softening was fine so i didn't have to roast as long. (smittenkitchen.com)
The use of a more generic term for pay negotiations, rather than a specific method, represents a slight softening of the party's stance. (schoolsweek.co.uk)