douse 1 of 3

verb (1)

variants also dowse
Definition of dousenext
1
as in to extinguish
to cause to cease burning douse the campfire before leaving in the morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drown
to make wet the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dip
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid douse the grapes in water to remove any grit

Synonyms & Similar Words

douse

2 of 3

verb (2)

ˈdau̇s How to pronounce douse (audio)
as in to remove
to rid oneself of (a garment) in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

douse

3 of 3

noun

ˈdüs How to pronounce douse (audio)
British
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument those soccer hooligans need a sound douse or two from a police officer's club

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of douse
Verb
Then again, after getting doused with hot coffee earlier, the day had nowhere to go but up for the coach. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026 The woman was also hit by the SUV, along with being struck with a bat and doused in bear spray, officials say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
For a sweeter option, the sourdough waffle also tasted textbook with a douse of maple syrup. — Restaurant Critic, Houston Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026 Then came two sons calling about an alcoholic father who drank to douse the stress of his perfectionism. — Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for douse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douse
  1. extinguish
  2. drown
  3. dip
  4. remove
  5. blow
  6. wet
  7. immerse
  8. slap
Verb
  • Generally, this provision contractually extinguishes the ability to bring claims to court.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Chicago extinguished New England's last-minute comeback bid courtesy of exceptional clock management by coach Johnson and a nail-in-the-coffin, career-best 58-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of extinguish
Verb
  • Equally weighting stocks ensures companies in smaller industries aren’t drowned out by massive ones, like Big Tech.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Other components in blood can produce stronger signals that drown them out, according to a scientific review published in Applied Spectroscopy.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • As for gas, it has usually been treated as a waste product to be burned off; because there are so few pipelines to bring it to market, West Texas gas prices have even dipped negative this year.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Uncover dough, dip your hand in water and stretch one side of dough up and over to meet opposite side; turn bowl 90°.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of dip
Verb
  • The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of remove
Noun
  • Just when Kansas City appeared to be building momentum toward a Sunday night comeback, kicker Harrison Butker missed his second attempt of the night, dealing another blow to the Chiefs’ hopes.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Rutgers starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan left after sustaining a blow to the head 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the first quarter and didn’t return.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • One of these chambers contains a disc of fabric that is pre-wetted with water, one contains a foaming agent made up of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium bicarbonate (the main component of baking soda), and one contains a drop of eye medication.
    — Ben Coxworth October 23, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Per a guide from Nectr, saliva wets the pouch and releases its ingredients, and how much is actually absorbed depends on the formulation and how the pouch is used.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • Beigel, who previously worked with FBI officers while helming the ESPN 30for30 documentary The Counterfeiter, spent approximately three years immersing himself in the Loofe case.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Doherty, reconnecting with Scotland during visits to see his mother, immersed himself in gritty British cinema by filmmakers Shane Meadows and Ken Loach, as well as music by Massive Attack, Siouxsie and the Banshees and PJ Harvey.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of immerse
Noun
  • Chmerkovskiy has since apologized for his comments referencing Will Smith’s infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Wild, who have played all season without first-pair defenseman Brock Faber due to a skull fracture, lost forward Nico Sturm in the first period when he was hit on the side of the head by teammate Jared Spurgeon's slap shot.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of slap

Browse Nearby Words

dourness
douse
doused
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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