wash down

verb

washed down; washing down; washes down

transitive verb

1
: to move or carry downward by action of a liquid
especially : to facilitate the passage of (food) down the gullet with accompanying swallows of liquid
pizza washed down with beer
2
: to wash the whole length or extent of
washed down and scrubbed the front porch

Examples of wash down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s become a place that brings people together to feast on Southern favorites like country ham, eggs and fresh tomatoes or homemade meatloaf with macaroni & cheese, okra and cornbread, washed down with homemade sweet tea. Shannon Greene, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024 Make sure to order the conch or ceviche, best washed down with an ice-cold Kalik beer. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2024 Hooters The restaurant chain is giving offering 10 free chicken wings to customers who buy 10 wings, which people can wash down with beer or margaritas for $4 each. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024 The two have a laugh and Capote hands her a Valium to wash down with scotch. Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 The Field Blend combines cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, petit verdot, zinfandel and merlot into a smooth, ripe, slightly sweet red, fine for casual sipping or to wash down burgers or takeout kebabs. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Think caviar and blinis washed down with Krug 2004 vintage Champagne. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2024 When water from a hot shower or laundry cycle washes down the drain, its excess energy often goes to waste. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2024 However, your hunch that the stains washed down with water during a rainstorm seems valid, given what the picture shows. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wash down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wash down was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near wash down

Cite this Entry

“Wash down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wash%20down. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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