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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Recent Examples of hosing
Another instance included allegedly hosing down a congregant’s car.
—
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
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, 14 June 2026
This means pressure-washing the deck or hosing down the lawn before laying down your fresh rug.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Dallas Fire-Rescue also shared photos that showed crews hosing down the charred remains of the complex, where debris and burned wood littered the scene.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Her neighbors stayed in their backyard, hosing down trees as aircrafts continued water dumps.
—Sean Emery, Daily News, 18 May 2026
On the night of April 21, Toronto fire crews called time on the stunt, blocking access to the sculpture and hosing it down with warm water, Toronto City News reports.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
As buses loaded with evacuees pulled onto the road, members of the skeleton crew started gathering their belongings and hosing down buildings.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
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, 14 June 2026
This means pressure-washing the deck or hosing down the lawn before laying down your fresh rug.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Dallas Fire-Rescue also shared photos that showed crews hosing down the charred remains of the complex, where debris and burned wood littered the scene.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Her neighbors stayed in their backyard, hosing down trees as aircrafts continued water dumps.
—Sean Emery, Daily News, 18 May 2026
On the night of April 21, Toronto fire crews called time on the stunt, blocking access to the sculpture and hosing it down with warm water, Toronto City News reports.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
As buses loaded with evacuees pulled onto the road, members of the skeleton crew started gathering their belongings and hosing down buildings.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hosing
Verb
-
County officials pointed to state budget cuts and a $276,000 drop in liquor revenue as factors squeezing finances.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2026
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Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Former Kansas guard Kevin McCullar wore goggles in the New York Knicks locker room to protect his eyes from stinging during a champagne-spraying celebration after NY’s 94-90 NBA title-clinching victory over San Antonio on June 13 in Texas.—
Gary Bedore
June 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
-
Pets who have an encounter with stinging caterpillars will need a vet visit ASAP.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
-
Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.—
Holly Eve,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, ends the final episode still hustling, despite the violent death of her husband Nate (Jacob Elordi), the passing of her high school friend Rue (Zendaya), and the dismantling of her OnlyFans account.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
America’s favorite sport is not football, or soccer, but screwing over sports fans, which is why FIFA should hold its World Cup in the United States permanently.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
-
At least Mercedes is reverting back to screwing things together rather than gluing things in a back-to-basics manufacturing push.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
Verb
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
-
Few colleges have developed an intellectual integrity curriculum that treats cheating as a habit and works to counter it over the four years of a student’s college education.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
Verb
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No other airline has plans to compete with the carrier, sticking instead to traditional one-stop gateways, like Dubai, Los Angeles, or Singapore.—
Edward Russell,
Travel + Leisure,
23 June 2026
-
Those who cannot twerk usually fall back on sticking their tongues down each other’s throats, because this is Love Island, after all.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
And while the titular ambulance chaser naturally holds court for six seasons (beating Breaking Bad by one), equally excellent turns by Jonathan Banks and Rhea Seehorn ensure this multi-award-winning series works as both the perfect prequel and a bingeable standalone drama.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
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White won by a 2-point margin, beating Shaikh by just under 400 votes.—
Sophia Eppley,
AJC.com,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hosing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hosing. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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