as in squeezing
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
when the guy failed to return with our money, we realized that we had been hosed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hosing
Residents were prohibited from watering their lawns or hosing down their cars; industrial operations, largely exempt from drought restrictions, kept drawing the water they had been promised.
—
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2025
Drone footage shows crews hosing down a smoking pile of materials that caught fire at a northeastern Massachusetts recycling plant.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Prevent unwanted weeds from establishing in sidewalk and driveway cracks by hosing out or scraping away dirt and sediment from the cracks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
The video — which name-drops the Euphoria star — sees Lizzo hosing down a Porsche while clad in torn denim.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2025
Drone footage shows crews hosing down a smoking pile of materials that caught fire at a northeastern Massachusetts recycling plant.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Prevent unwanted weeds from establishing in sidewalk and driveway cracks by hosing out or scraping away dirt and sediment from the cracks.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
The video — which name-drops the Euphoria star — sees Lizzo hosing down a Porsche while clad in torn denim.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hosing
Verb
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The fall was aided by the cooling prices of gasoline, eggs, and beef, but rising costs for consumer goods like apparel, computers, and airfares suggest tariffs are still squeezing household budgets.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The surrender also included a stinging lesson in the nuances of diplomacy.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
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Seattle fans are hoping to erase the stinging memory of Super Bowl 49 – when the Seahawks famously decided not to run from the 1-yard line and saw Malcolm Butler intercept Russell Wilson to seal a 28-24 Patriots win.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Broten remembers Pavelich plucking his guitar and singing Neil Young songs on bus rides.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
-
According to its website, Butcher & Singer is an homage to the glitz and class of 1940s Hollywood, reaching into the past, plucking the best and brightest aspects of a bygone era.—
Courtney Cherry,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If out of work, hustling this week and next could open doors.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Students were hustling around campus, coming and going on the penultimate Saturday of the semester.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Nevertheless, on a clear if cold day the three walked through several inches of snow, screwing in the new signs.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cattano suggests screwing mug hooks into the bottom of kitchen cabinets to utilize that space between the cupboards and the countertops.—
Bridget Reed Morawski,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He has not been formally charged with cheating by World Curling, which does not use video to review game play.—
STEVE DOUGLAS,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Canada's curling team has fired back at Sweden after the Swedes accused the Canadians of cheating at the Winter Olympics.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The coating forms a rough texture that prevents liquids from sticking.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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Velzeboer passed Sarault with three laps to go and held off challenges, sticking her right skate over the line and raising both arms aloft.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Shooting and beating American citizens in the streets, demolishing history, covering up obvious crimes, threatening our allies, targeting political adversaries and using the office for personal enrichment are just a few things that have occurred and gone unchecked by powers that control Congress.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hosing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hosing. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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