Cushion works as both a verb and a noun, and both forms share the same job: softening the impact of something negative -- never preventing it, and never describing anything positive. Its collocations are built around naming what's being softened and what's doing the softening.
Verb phrase: softening an impact
As a verb, cushion pairs with the blow, or with against and from to name the source of harm being softened: cushion [someone/something] from [the impact], cushion against [losses/shocks/volatility].
"We have diversified our revenue streams to cushion against the impact of the new regulations."
"Knowing the sudden factory closure would severely disrupt the community, the company provided an unprecedented two-year severance package to cushion the blow for its affected workers."
The two prepositions aren't interchangeable window dressing: against fits hazards and forces (regulations, volatility), while from fits consequences the subject is being protected from.
Noun phrase: the buffer itself
As a noun, cushion describes the reserve doing the protecting: a financial/fiscal cushion, provide/act as a cushion.
Want to learn "Cushion" in depth?
Lyra Practice teaches advanced non-native professionals the nuance of high-value expressions like this one, then has you practice using them in realistic work scenarios.
Start learning for free →"We maintained high cash reserves to provide a cushion for potential R&D setbacks."
"The reserve fund was specifically designed to act as a cushion against sudden shifts in market liquidity."
In both forms, the pattern only works when there's a specific risk attached -- the cushion always exists for or against something named.
What doesn't collocate
Three mistakes come up in the source data. First, "cushion down the news" isn't a valid phrasal verb -- the intended meaning needs "soften the blow" or "water down." Second, "cushion employees to the rising cost of living" uses the wrong preposition; it should be "from" or "against," never "to." Third, "cushion the success" misapplies the word entirely -- cushion only ever softens negative impacts, and success doesn't need cushioning.
Practice scenarios
Practice using cushion in situations like:
- explaining to a skeptical director why you set aside extra funds for vendor price increases
- justifying two extra days added to a strict project deadline
- describing infrastructure built to absorb a sudden traffic spike without crashing
Useful practice phrases:
- "We built in a cushion to [absorb/protect against] [specific risk]."
- "[Policy/package] is designed to cushion [group] against [impact]."
- "We diversified [revenue/vendors] to cushion against [risk]."
Cushion only sounds natural when there's a real risk on the other end of it. Name what it's softening, and the word does exactly the job it's built for -- nothing more, and never the opposite.