dry out

verb

dried out; drying out; dries out

intransitive verb

: to undergo an extended period of withdrawal from alcohol or drug use especially at a special clinic

Examples of dry out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the East Coast will dry out by Saturday afternoon, but some showers could develop deeper inland. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

Watering these plants when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry and adding mulch around their roots helps keep them from drying out quickly and suffering from water stress, which can reduce the size of their sprouts. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2026

Ziata says to store arugula in the crisper drawer, which will also help protect it from drying out too much and wilting. — Molly Allen, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2026

The soil dried out, came loose, was blown away to reveal all kinds of things. — Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dry out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Medical Definition

dry-out

1 of 2 adjective

ˈdrī-ˌau̇t 

: providing detoxification treatment

checked into a dry-out clinic

dry out

2 of 2 transitive verb

(ˈ)drī-ˈau̇t 

: to subject to withdrawal from the use of alcohol or drugs : detoxify sense 2

intransitive verb

: to undergo an extended period of withdrawal from alcohol or drug use especially at a special clinic : detoxify