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
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
Despite major strides in the right direction, the push for a greener future has been dealt several devastating blows from a fraught supply chain, economic headwinds and political setbacks.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Richard Westenberger, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Carter’s, said tariffs are delivering blows to the business, which has caused the company to hike its prices and decrease its discounting efforts.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Villaraigosa has not been afraid to take swipes at other Democrats in the gubernatorial primary.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Wipe in circular motions with a lint-free microfiber cloth to loosen grime, then finish with long, horizontal swipes.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
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
-
Among the knocks on DeBoer after the Florida State debacle was his 2-4 road record as Alabama’s coach.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The bunker context had knocks-on for the narrative, Pina argued.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 Sep. 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
-
The poem is littered with gut punches that would destroy me as a parent; Lee sees the poem’s beauty and appears to feel appropriate shame.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
No punches were thrown, and order was quickly restored, but the mere sight of a standoff is rare in any playoff game, much less Game 7 of the World Series.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
From there, his sound became one of the most sought-after in the industry, shaping hits that blurred the lines between grit and groove.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Manow does a bump of K on the table to relax while Clateman shows me a high-tech nicotine vape that displays music videos and also rates the intensity of your hits with a numerical score.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Douses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douses. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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