wash away

phrasal verb

washed away; washing away; washes away
1
: to carry (something) away by the movement of water
The bridge was washed away by flooding last year.
2
: to get rid of (something, such as unhappy or unpleasant thoughts) completely
Take a vacation to wash away your troubles.

Examples of wash away in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Fears washed away, cleanse and purify. Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026 There’s nothing quite like standing under a hot shower, allowing the water to wash away the stress of the day. Christina Montoya Fiedler, Parents, 28 Jan. 2026 One possibility is that the rhythm helps the brain clean itself by moving cerebrospinal fluid that washes away metabolic waste — a process already proposed for mammals. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026 But while the streets may be cleaned, the lives lost and the parents left grieving cannot be washed away. Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wash away

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Cite this Entry

“Wash away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wash%20away. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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