variants
also dowse
1
as in to extinguish
to cause to cease burning
douse the campfire before leaving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
As Bichette sat just beyond the reach of the spraying champagne, players walked over to him, dousing the shortstop.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
The commission’s members also called for prioritizing additional water storage capacity in neighborhoods, and systems with external sprinklers to douse homes, parks and schools.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Verb
Carr ends up tripping and falling down stairs, eating soup laced with Plan B One Step emergency contraceptive, and getting doused in cat feces, which leads to him contracting toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can be transferred to fetuses during pregnancy.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
As Bichette sat just beyond the reach of the spraying champagne, players walked over to him, dousing the shortstop.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
And his sense of humor douses jest over images that probably shouldn’t be funny.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
The commission’s members also called for prioritizing additional water storage capacity in neighborhoods, and systems with external sprinklers to douse homes, parks and schools.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douse
Noun
-
Court documents say several videos appear to show Niehaus using an accelerant, as well as a small, blow torch.—
Kevin Grasha,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Considering the Ravens offense runs through Jackson, who's considered one of the top signal-callers in the NFL, his absence is a tough blow to a team looking to keep its playoff hopes alive (Baltimore is 1-3).—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Karl turned on the headlights and got the windshield wipers going at a mad slap.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Then one evening there was a knock at the door, followed by a text from our friend Laura to check outside.—
Aisha Muharrar,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Teams finishing from 9th to 24th in the league compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off, with the winner of each match-up advancing to the last 16 of the competition.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The former child actor, who got his breakthrough role in 1997's Soul Food at age 13, was diagnosed with Castleman disease not long after the film became a runaway hit.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The team’s hopes for a third straight Stanley Cup championship, last done in the NHL more than 40 years agp, also have taken an enormous hit.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In today’s climate, every swipe of a card increasingly serves as an emotional release.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
In the video announcing his exit from the race, Adams took what could be considered a veiled swipe at the Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, an unapologetic progressive.—
Averi Harper,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The dramatic thump of the ship’s four electromagnetic catapults which shoot them into the sky is constant and can be heard throughout the ship.—
Matthew Bodner,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The Red Sox are in a good spot for their future, but their lineup clearly needs more thump.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kershaw was on the winning end more often than not, but that didn’t mean the Giants didn’t also get in their licks.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
From bouncy dancehall riddims and hip-hop production inflections to tender country and western guitar licks, Treasure Self Love distills Iké’s wide range of childhood music into a succinct 11-track study of achieving wholeness by unflinchingly examining the darkest parts of your past.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Let his babysitter have a whack at it.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douse. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share