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

After some rain Tuesday night, North Texas is drying out Wednesday morning. —Michael Autovino, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026

Succulent soil should feel gritty in your hand and dry out completely within a few days of watering. —Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 11 Feb. 2026

Avoid terra-cotta pots for moisture-loving plants like ferns, Venus flytraps, and peace lilies since the porous clay dries out the soil quickly. —Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026

That way the water has time to saturate the ground rather than evaporating or drying out quickly when peak daytime temperatures are in the 80s and 90s in Miami. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 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