as in purification
the act or fact of freeing from sin or moral guilt
underwent a cleansing before he could enter the temple's most sacred chamber
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in purifying
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1
as in purging
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
in an elaborate ritual the priestess cleansed the gathering of supplicants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cleaning
to remove the dirt from
cleanse the wound with soap and water before applying the bandage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cleansing
Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Feb. 2026
To apply, add a few drops to your face after cleansing and gently spread the serum on your skin.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
For nighttime cleansing, Thosani suggests a hydrating serum with a facial lymphatic massage to help reduce puffiness and swelling.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 27 Feb. 2026
The number-one-bestselling Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm transforms into three unique textures for the ultimate cleansing experience.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Gentle formulas usually work best with a vibrating skin brush — or any skin cleansing tool, for that matter.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Launched in 2019, the beauty brand focuses on nourishing textured hair at every stage—from cleansing and conditioning to styling and protecting.
—Kieaundria Bellamy, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
After decades of skin abuse, society moved on to different cleansing formats, like non-foaming gels, milky cleansers, and even enzymatic powders.
—Emily Orofino, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
Crushed black olives and eucalyptus produce the cleansing soap formula, applied onto the skin in a steamy chamber for the ultimate purification ritual.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Feb. 2026
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Dec. 2025
Mario Badescu’s no-frills formula refines pores and soothes skin post-cleansing with witch hazel and rose water.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 18 Nov. 2025
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
The rain continues, cleansing the city of its grime.
—Rodrigo Hasbún, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Manon Coubia‘s gorgeous, whispering first feature is therefore not a film of major dramatic incidents and revelations, though its payoff is clear and cleansing as a mountain spring.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
This drugstore pick is especially designed for anyone experiencing mild or normal shedding due to breakage and helps restore strength by using gentle surfactants while cleansing.
—Jamie Wilson, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2026
These trends are like the hair equivalent of taking a deep, cleansing spring breath.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
In the beauty world, there’s tons of products, from cleansing oils to micellar waters, trusted to remove all traces of makeup from your face.
—Tatayana Yomary, Essence, 28 Jan. 2026
How to use hypochlorous acid Apply HOCl after cleansing your skin but before serums or moisturizers, Garshick says.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Where January opened with a cleansing Cancer Full Moon, February begins with bold, expressive fire.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Noun
Use these pads after cleansing and before moisturizing to unleash that just-got-a-facial glow.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Feb. 2026
To apply, add a few drops to your face after cleansing and gently spread the serum on your skin.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
For nighttime cleansing, Thosani suggests a hydrating serum with a facial lymphatic massage to help reduce puffiness and swelling.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 27 Feb. 2026
The number-one-bestselling Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm transforms into three unique textures for the ultimate cleansing experience.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Gentle formulas usually work best with a vibrating skin brush — or any skin cleansing tool, for that matter.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Launched in 2019, the beauty brand focuses on nourishing textured hair at every stage—from cleansing and conditioning to styling and protecting.
—Kieaundria Bellamy, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
After decades of skin abuse, society moved on to different cleansing formats, like non-foaming gels, milky cleansers, and even enzymatic powders.
—Emily Orofino, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
Crushed black olives and eucalyptus produce the cleansing soap formula, applied onto the skin in a steamy chamber for the ultimate purification ritual.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
To use the bestseller, distribute three pumps over the face and neck daily, post-cleansing, and start savoring its impressive effects after a couple of months of consistent application.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Dec. 2025
Mario Badescu’s no-frills formula refines pores and soothes skin post-cleansing with witch hazel and rose water.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 18 Nov. 2025
Verb
Nighttime routines used to consist of cleansing your face, putting on a basic retinol, and finishing with a generous slathering of Pond's Cream.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
The rain continues, cleansing the city of its grime.
—Rodrigo Hasbún, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Manon Coubia‘s gorgeous, whispering first feature is therefore not a film of major dramatic incidents and revelations, though its payoff is clear and cleansing as a mountain spring.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
This drugstore pick is especially designed for anyone experiencing mild or normal shedding due to breakage and helps restore strength by using gentle surfactants while cleansing.
—Jamie Wilson, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2026
These trends are like the hair equivalent of taking a deep, cleansing spring breath.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
In the beauty world, there’s tons of products, from cleansing oils to micellar waters, trusted to remove all traces of makeup from your face.
—Tatayana Yomary, Essence, 28 Jan. 2026
How to use hypochlorous acid Apply HOCl after cleansing your skin but before serums or moisturizers, Garshick says.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Where January opened with a cleansing Cancer Full Moon, February begins with bold, expressive fire.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleansing
Noun
-
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has successfully designed and built high-purity gas conversion and purification systems for silane and germane.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
DuPont, minus Qnity, has a big focus on health care and water purification.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Because helium is essential for pressurizing cryogenic tanks and for purging the pipelines that will carry highly reactive liquid oxygen, the leak raised concerns.—
Marcos Fernandez Tous,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Heaters were deployed to keep the Orion capsule on top of the rocket warm, while rocket-purging systems were adapted to the cold.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Abrasive cleaners like steel wool pads, bleach, and chlorine should always be avoided when cleaning stainless steel.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This echoes the fact that lemon was a preferred cleaning agent in the past.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After more than a decade on hiatus, the blog-era indie-pop band reunites for a cathartic, mature comeback record that sounds like a big-dreaming debut.—
Brian Howe,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
-
While cathartic for a moment, both Claire and Jamie are distraught, thinking that their daughter could have been alive and never knew.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many stepwells were used for ablution; the tanks associated with mosques, Hindu temples and other shrines offered the most purificatory form. Summoning water from the depths was also a symbol of temporal power.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
13 July 2019
Adjective
-
It’s been very, very moving, and it’s never happened for a Norwegian film before.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Among the more moving cases that Blair describes are those of people who in life were vulnerable and powerless but in death were considered formidable threats.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Devin Lloyd, the Jacksonville Jaguars inside linebacker who spent 2025 compiling one of the most impressive stat-lines in the NFL, agreed to a 3-year, $45 million deal, a league source told The Observer.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Rusadze, Giorgadze, and Chasserot have built an impressive industry network over the years, so for their official debut, have secured an impressive roster of backstage talent and models through friends who are keen to support.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Adolescence — roughly ages 10 to 19, according to the World Health Organization — is the critical window for developing confidence, a stable sense of identity and emotional regulation.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Google’s latest lawsuit pushes the company to do more, such as warning users about the risks of having long emotional conversations with its chatbot.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleansing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleansing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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