Cushioning
Keeping a few backups on the side to soften the blow if your main relationship ends.
Definitions
The set of backup people themselves, sometimes called cushions.
Flirting with or keeping in light contact with other people while in a relationship, so you have 'cushions' ready to land on if things go wrong.
Used to describe emotional insurance against a breakup more than active cheating.
Cushioning In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
From the idea of having a soft cushion to fall back on. Popularised by dating writers in the late 2010s and absorbed into Gen-Z relationship vocabulary.
People Also Ask
What does cushioning mean in slang?
It's keeping backup romantic options on the side while in a relationship, so you have someone to fall back on if it ends.
Is cushioning cheating?
It exists in a grey area; it may not involve physical cheating, but the emotional hedging and secret flirting are widely seen as a betrayal of trust.
How is cushioning different from a roster?
A roster is for single people juggling options openly. Cushioning happens while you're already supposedly committed to someone.
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