douses 1 of 3

noun

plural of douse, British
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

douses

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of douse
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

douses

3 of 3

verb (2)

variants also dowses
present tense third-person singular of douse
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
3
as in dips
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid douse the grapes in water to remove any grit

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 douses
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
  1. blows
  2. removes
  3. extinguishes
  4. drowns
  5. dips
  6. slaps
  7. wets
  8. immerses
Noun
  • The impact of yesterday’s sharp drop in South Korean equities transmitted further into US markets overnight, spreading selling sentiment and dealing heavy blows to US semiconductor and memory stocks.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Guevera also reportedly came to blows with Eddie Kingston in 2022, leading to Kingston’s suspension.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Hal clocks it, giving his protégé a long side-eye when the green birdie continues to hover overhead after John removes the ring.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The 23-year-old Spaniard is returning after four months out with a wrist injury, but Sinner’s withdrawal removes his biggest rival.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of removes
Verb
  • Engagement between warring parties rarely extinguishes mistrust.
    — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Video on social media shows flames outside the building – and someone tossing something into the flames, leading to what appears to be fireworks going off – before another person extinguishes the fire.
    — Brynn Gingras, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of extinguishes
Verb
  • With notable traffic boosts over the Android competition guaranteeing more digital inches and headlines, the associated media coverage drowns out alternatives.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • James eventually drowns, leaving Sara and Max to continue alone.
    — Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 29 July 2026
Definition of drowns
Verb
  • Salsas and dips including jalapeños have also been pulled from grocery stores across the United States.
    — Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • As the sun dips below the horizon, a fleet of onlookers on jet skis and boats idle on the water to catch a peek of the vivacious scene.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dips
Noun
  • The Mother was the destination, but the slaps, pineapple, goat, and countless detours made the journey worthwhile.
    — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Pro wrestling is often viewed as a fake form of fighting, but the flips, jumps and landings are very real — slaps and kicks landed on reddening skin echo throughout SPW’s venues.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • Unfortunately, that only wets the top quarter inch of soil—a feel-good move for gardeners but not for roots.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026
  • Another Pearl Girl wets herself when the Eyes come for Thalia.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Definition of wets
Verb
  • From the outset, the show immerses audiences in 1930s New York, and while set in a noir world, there’s a modern aspect to it too.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As the identity of the culprit becomes the talk of the school, Cartman immerses himself in 9/11 conspiracy theories, believing that the terrorist attack was actually an inside job staged by the Bush administration.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of immerses

Browse Nearby Words

doused
douses
dousing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Douses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douses. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All