dry wash

noun

Western US

: wash sense 1d

Examples of dry wash in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Facing lawsuits from environmental groups, the Biden administration agreed to leave open some of the car-size swinging gates installed where the border wall crosses a dry wash or stream bed. — Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026

During their long walks the females are dots on the map, slowly moving across a landscape of dry washes and desert vegetation. — Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026

The warning added that the flash floods would be life-threatening, as slot canyons, normally dry washes, creeks, streams and the Paria River were inundated with heavy rain. — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2025

Topography also plays a role, as steep canyons, mountains and dry washes are susceptible to floods. — Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dry wash

• backwash
• downwash
• mouthwash
• outwash
• panache
• whitewash
• bosh
• frosh
• gosh
• josh
• posh
• quash