as in to rinse
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse if you get the chemical in your eye, irrigate the eye thoroughly with water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irrigate Beyond the broad concrete steps that traverse the water-friendly (and automatically irrigated) xeriscaped front yard and through the lime-green door that animates the charcoal exterior cladding hides a small courtyard open to the sky, a classic feature in an Eichler home. Mark David, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2025 If soils have been dry or inadequately irrigated, consider harvesting nearly ripe fruit before rainstorm events to avoid cracking. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2025 As images reach us in fragments, sound weaves a continuity from off-screen to on-screen, carrying the emotion through the film and irrigating the streams of images, like water flowing. Cátia Rodrigues, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025 Thirsty data That Lake Mead’s worth of water that has disappeared from beneath the lower Colorado basin has gone largely to irrigating alfalfa and other food for cows, much of which is exported. Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigate
Verb
  • Once rinsed off, your pores are inexplicably less noticeable and your face ridiculously refreshed.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Apply it to the pan, then rinse it away and wipe your pan dry.
    Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Yet a surprisingly large number of dishes that are washed end up being washed by hand.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Indeed, rather than making the dog wash by himself, Osmin stood under the shower head and had to hold Buddah in his arms the entire time.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The last step is to reattach your showerhead and turn on the water to flush any remaining vinegar from the spouts.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Hearn said the only real logistical change is how cars need to have their fuel systems fully flushed when switching between different fuels, and two fuels (sustainable and regular, for example) can’t be mixed in the same tank.
    Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on irrigate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!