as in blows
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
Relevance
as in removes
to rid oneself of (a garment)
in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also dowses
1
as in extinguishes
to cause to cease burning
douse the campfire before leaving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drowns
to make wet
the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of douses
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Outside, the rain douses the flames at the cooperage, but the situation still seems a bit explosive.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
The formula is enriched with Japanese red camellia oil, a lightweight, fast-absorbing ingredient that douses the hair in antioxidants.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Outside, the rain douses the flames at the cooperage, but the situation still seems a bit explosive.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douses
Noun
-
The restaurant weathered the blows of COVID-19, but the relationship between Valente and his partners was strained.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The Horns landed several big blows, but the knockout shot never connected.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Europe has long underspent on defense, and where American cajoling for decades had not worked, a few face slaps succeeded.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Expect the date nights to keep coming—Rocky’s album slaps, and the Rih-Rocky couples style moments match the vibe and more.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There were, like, broad clothing swipes, like, someone maybe was trying to destroy fingerprints.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
After a few fateful swipes, everyone’s lives begin to change.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The story draws from Filipino urban folklore, specifically a childhood ritual involving mirrors, candles and three knocks that serves as the narrative’s foundation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Dec. 2025
-
Nobody expected a year ago that the India-US economic relationship will take so many knocks—of which the HIRE Bill is another reflection.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Eventually, Ginger's playful touches turn to rowdy smacks on Jesse's behind.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Some biologists argue that more frequent smacks are a sign of rising ocean temperatures.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Located just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Cypress Mountain is more of a commuter hill than a destination resort, but its terrain punches well above its weight.—
Brent Rose,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Feb. 2026
-
But one of the punches knocked Miller’s head backward, and his hairpiece popped upward from the front, revealing a large bald spot that covered most of his head.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Stars played Winnipeg physically from the start, with Adam Erne leading Dallas with five hits in the first period alone.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Anecdotally, there has been an increase because more games, more hits, more injuries.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Douses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douses. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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