wash down
verb
washed down; washing down; washes down
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
Meet and feed the herd, take some photos — with the reindeer and with Santa — then fill up with Norwegian potato lefse washed down with seasonal drinks.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
Two dams outside in the mountains above the city collapsed, sending floodwaters washing down the Wadi Derna river and through the city center, sweeping away entire city blocks.
—Samy Magdy and Yousef Murad, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023
The beer no doubt helps to wash down D.C.'s best food truck fare intermixed with the countless beer tents.
—Emily Cappiello, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2023
On the eve of the wedding, the bride and groom brought the out-of-towners to Stockholm’s Pelikan restaurant, for a classic Swedish meal of herring and meatballs washed down with shots of schnapps.
—Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2023
Enjoy the twinkling lights and nostalgic scent of waffles, gingerbread, and bratwurst — best washed down with a cup of hot mulled wine.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2023
Thank goodness, some things never change at Martin’s Restaurant, a Montgomery treasure where generations of diners have gathered for belt-loosening lunches washed down with tumblers of sweet tea.
—Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 13 July 2023
Thousands of fish were killed by the contamination washing down steams and rivers after the wreck, but state officials say the contaminants have since been contained.
—Christina Maxouris, CNN, 18 Feb. 2023
The cafe also offers espresso and tea drinks like lusciously green iced pandan lattes to wash down your treat.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Bon Appétit, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
Two dams outside in the mountains above the city collapsed, sending floodwaters washing down the Wadi Derna river and through the city center, sweeping away entire city blocks.
—Samy Magdy and Yousef Murad, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023
The beer no doubt helps to wash down D.C.'s best food truck fare intermixed with the countless beer tents.
—Emily Cappiello, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2023
On the eve of the wedding, the bride and groom brought the out-of-towners to Stockholm’s Pelikan restaurant, for a classic Swedish meal of herring and meatballs washed down with shots of schnapps.
—Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2023
Enjoy the twinkling lights and nostalgic scent of waffles, gingerbread, and bratwurst — best washed down with a cup of hot mulled wine.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2023
Thank goodness, some things never change at Martin’s Restaurant, a Montgomery treasure where generations of diners have gathered for belt-loosening lunches washed down with tumblers of sweet tea.
—Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 13 July 2023
Thousands of fish were killed by the contamination washing down steams and rivers after the wreck, but state officials say the contaminants have since been contained.
—Christina Maxouris, CNN, 18 Feb. 2023
The cafe also offers espresso and tea drinks like lusciously green iced pandan lattes to wash down your treat.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Bon Appétit, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wash down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near wash down
Cite this Entry
“Wash down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wash%20down. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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