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

To wash down all that chicken, the brand also brought back their Cherry Berry lineup for a limited time, including the Cherry Berry & Sprite, Cherry Berry Lemonade, Cherry Berry Sunjoy, and a creamy Cherry Berry Frosted Lemonade. —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025

Blue-blacks and brown-blacks add subtle variations to basic black denim, especially when the fabrics are washed down. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025

However, aboard the ISS, for example, the food seems less like some futuristic lab experiment and more like a succession of box lunches washed down with lukewarm coffee. —David Szondy october 19, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2025

Lee especially recommends the famous Blarney Burger, chicken wings, and club sandwich—best washed down with a cold draft beer. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wash down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown