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
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 douses
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
In this recipe, orange juice also douses the bran before and after baking.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
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 visit also comes as both sides have been trading blows ahead of the summit.—
Evelyn Cheng,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
-
His saga has been built with blows of faith, discipline and a conviction rarely seen, even at the elite level.—
Jorge Ebro
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Then came the highlights, which linger longer in the memory than the out-of-position misses and slaps.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Leonard extended his 20-point streak to 49 straight games with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, welcoming hand slaps from teammates after hitting his second 3-pointer late in the game.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Instead of Paris this time, the film jets off to another fabulous destination besides New York — Milan — for a huge fashion expo where Lady Gaga gets to perform and even exchange swipes with Miranda.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
With a lifelong love of the weight room and a good core of swipes, chops and bull rushes, Young offers a physical presence on both the interior and edge.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the opening minute alone, Murphy shot just wide off a turnover and Josefin Bouveng set up Madison Kaiser for a couple of whacks from the edge of the blue paint that were both stopped.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The star then grabbed a bat and took several whacks at a colorful piñata shaped like a cascaron.—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There really aren’t many knocks against Ponds … other than his size.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The exterior Forged from anodized aluminum, this is Carl Friedrik's most hard-wearing cabin case yet, with new steel rivets adding extra protection against knocks and bumps to complement the robust aluminum frame.—
Charley Ward,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
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
-
The challenger became more aggressive after the sixth round, moving forward to try to land punches.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
-
No punches, but the two tangled, spilling toward the sideline as Okongwu tried to separate them.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Douses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douses. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
