wash 1 of 2

verb

ˈwȯsh How to pronounce wash (audio)
Definition of washnext
1
as in to bathe
to flow along or against crystal-clear waters gently wash the island's unspoiled beaches

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2
as in to fly
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval the employee's story about missing the bus didn't wash with her manager

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3
as in to splash
to flow in a broken irregular stream soapy water washing down the drain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to wet
to make wet rain washed the countryside for days on end

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to rinse
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse washed the baby's hair

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6
as in to stir
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly she absentmindedly washed her tea by tipping her cup, until the honey was at last mixed in

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wash

2 of 2

noun

as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water an invasive species threatening the plants native to the region's washes

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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 wash
Verb
Inspect white clothes and lines, treat any stains, and wash them following the guidelines on the label. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 July 2026 Frozen vegetables are largely safe from cyclospora because most commercial facilities wash and blanch (briefly dip in boiling water) them before they're packaged, killing the parasite. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Noun
This includes the following creeks, washes and rivers, Colorado River, Specter Chasm, Kanab Creek, Jumpup Canyon, Fossil Canyon, 140- Mile Canyon, Fishtail Canyon, Matkatamiba Canyon and Olo Canyon. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2026 Read on to learn the proper way to reverse hair wash—and whether this method is right for your hair type. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wash
  1. bathe
  2. fly
  3. splash
  4. wet
  5. rinse
  6. stir
  7. marsh
  8. work
Verb
  • However, many parents find that bathing their baby right before bed helps establish a routine and creates a soothing and calming atmosphere for bedtime.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • Much like the lobby and public areas, the rooms are bathed in natural light, with clean lines, warm woods, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026
Definition of bathe
Verb
  • Iraola’s squad will fly back to Merseyside straight after the game against Leeds, with their pre-season schedule concluding with Anfield friendlies against Monaco and Como on August 9 and 16 respectively.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • FlightAware showed the Gulfstream originally was scheduled to fly from New Jersey to Miami in time for the third-place match between England and France but never took off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • Adidas reportedly spent $67 million on its hero film, Backyard Legends, while Nike also splashed heavily on talent — Kim Kardashian, Kylian Mbappé, Central Cee, and LeBron James, among others — for its competing short, Rip the Script.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 16 July 2026
  • While the Super Heavy booster will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Boca Chica, the Ship upper stage will follow a suborbital trajectory for a target splashdown in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of splash
Verb
  • Reduce irrigation to only once or twice a week to wet the soil to help control this problem.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2026
  • The mountain thunderstorms are expected to continue Monday and Tuesday but should be accompanied by wetting rains that dampen fire risk, with about a tenth of an inch of precipitation, Molina said.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • Spray the railings with a garden hose to rinse away pollen and dirt.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
  • Cleaning your trash can regularly and rinsing food residue from containers prevents odors that attract fruit flies.
    — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 16 July 2026
Definition of rinse
Verb
  • Pour the soy sauce mixture into the pan and stir well to combine, scraping up any brown bits.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • Unruly Uranus stirs your 4th House of Home, forming a trine with Pluto in your 12th House of Solitude.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
Definition of stir
Noun
  • The ripe salt-sea smell, raw and delicious and foul, that rose up from the platform and haunted the marsh for miles around, was today tamped down by the freshwater air blowing down from the north.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Situated between busier coastal destinations this idyllic town and its marshes will immediately transport you back to your early carefree days playing in creeks, digging in pluff mud, catching crawfish, and tossing cast nets.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
Definition of marsh
Verb
  • The latest in Houston Salgado Araujo, 52, was driving to work with three other construction crew members when unmarked vehicles carrying federal agents began following his van, his family said.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • The men who wrote the Constitution distrusted parties, but also created and worked within them.
    — Andy Craig, Washington Post, 15 July 2026
Definition of work

Phrases Containing wash

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was friends with
wash
washed
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Cite this Entry

“Wash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wash. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wash

Nglish: Translation of wash for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wash

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