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
-
The assailant stopped mid-speech and delivered two blows straight to Antao’s face.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Large companies can absorb the blows, but the dry cleaner, toy importer, or family-run retailer cannot.—
Jacob Bennett,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
They were then categorized by behavior, including jumps, belly rolls, tail slaps, bow riding and even petting.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Millennials are currently ruling the tech industry and clinging to their roles as the economy is rocked by uncertainty due to tariffs, inflation increases living expenses, and AI swipes jobs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Deen also takes several swipes at her former detractors in the project, including fellow foodie and CNN travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 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
-
The bunker context had knocks-on for the narrative, Pina argued.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Both saber makers offer models suitable for children, which are largely, if not entirely, made of plastic, so they are designed to withstand a few knocks and bumps without causing too much damage.—
Alexander Cox,
Space.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some biologists argue that more frequent smacks are a sign of rising ocean temperatures.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But when the weather turns crisp, visitors should turn their attention to the interior of the park, where New England hardwoods like oak, maple, and beech offer punches of color to the evergreen forest.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
26 Sep. 2025
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Even after three seasons, the series still delivers unexpected twists and gut-punches.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Dallas rap superstar BigXThaPlug returned to Nashville for a night defined by the crossover appeal of three years of country, rap hits.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Oct. 2025
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Wenceel Pérez becomes an unlikely October redemption story Wenceel Pérez entered this game with only five hits in his past 56 at-bats.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Douses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douses. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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