variants
also dowse
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
as in to remove
to rid oneself of (a garment)
in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of douse
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 20 May 2026
Scoop the melty mixture into a soft roll, then douse it all with fresh herb sauce.
—Jed Portman, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The fire, named the Airport fire by South Metro, saw minimal growth overnight as crews worked to douse hotspots and protect the containment lines, the agency said in a Monday update.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Verb
Most people enjoy pepper sauce best when doused over vegetables side dishes, especially peas, succotash, and greens.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 20 May 2026
Scoop the melty mixture into a soft roll, then douse it all with fresh herb sauce.
—Jed Portman, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Noun
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
The fire, named the Airport fire by South Metro, saw minimal growth overnight as crews worked to douse hotspots and protect the containment lines, the agency said in a Monday update.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douse
Verb
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More than two months after the Eaton and Palisades fires were extinguished, researchers from UCLA and UC Davis detected elevated levels of hexavalent chromium — a potent carcinogen — in the burn areas, the paper in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment says.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Police said the collision ignited a small grass fire, which was quickly extinguished by the Morgan Hill Fire Department.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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This is the third report of a water rescue operation along the Front Range this week in which a child fell into the water or was swept away and drowned.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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Three-year-old Riley Fox was found drowned and half-naked in a Wilmington creek.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
For North American observers on the evening of May 30, the Blue Moon rises in the east as the sun dips below the horizon, with Antares glowing roughly 3 degrees to the lower left of Earth's satellite — less than the width of your three middle fingers held at arm's length against the night sky.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
-
Once the ride began, Ferrell pulled the nuggets out of his pants and even called for his camera man to give him some sauce to dip the nuggets into.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
South of Miami, the Florida Keys are known for their laidback charm, far removed from the hustle and bustle of Orlando's theme parks.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
The car has since been removed, and the Shorewood Building Department is evaluating the damage.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
At that pace, even a tiny micrometeoroid has the ability to impart a significant kinetic blow upon striking a spacecraft en route to the moon, with potentially disastrous results for the astronaut crew inside.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
-
Sánchez had the big blow with a two-run shot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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While food during flying days and science days was more grab-and-go, under Wiseman’s seat was a potable water dispenser that allowed the astronauts to wet food that flew with them as a powder.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
-
Irrigate at the base of plants to avoid wetting foliage, which can encourage plant diseases like black spot.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Also, DirecTV is immersed in a carriage dispute with Scripps and recently dropped the stations nationally, at least for now.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
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In the ’80s, a young Parrish, a native of Chicago’s South Side, the son of record-loving parents and the nephew of a jazz musician, was immersed in sound.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Burke, a Dodgers teammate, had provided the setup for the pioneering hand slap, a spontaneous response to a homer that Baker hit in 1977.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Will Smith won his only Best Actor Oscar in the title role, leading to his infamous onstage slap of Chris Rock during the 2022 ceremony.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douse. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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