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
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the City of Los Angeles are hosing free watch parties across the region for the World Cup.
—
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 10 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
Aphids are often managed by hosing them off foliage using a strong stream of water.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 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
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 10 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
Aphids are often managed by hosing them off foliage using a strong stream of water.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 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
-
Lightweight enough to toss into a carry-on, these slippers still have a durable sole, meaning quick trips to the airplane bathroom or hotel hallway don’t require squeezing back into shoes.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
-
Americans are reeling from a cost-of-living crisis that’s squeezing even the biggest earners in the country.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Ants, mosquitoes, ticks, termites, stinging insects, and house flies are the most common and costly summer pests.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
If these stinging insects are nesting in your yard, look for the things that might be attracting wasps and learn how to keep them away.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
6 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
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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
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Clarkson now is showing his value hustling for 50-50 balls while no longer being a liability on defense — a trait that’s followed him throughout his career.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
3 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
-
The reunion comes 15 years after the couple divorced amid rumors of a cheating scandal.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
Here, Ruhian diversifies his skill set, killing people at a distance with a bow and arrow, which feels like cheating.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Bobadilla then did the rest, inadvertently sticking his right foot in front of the ball and bouncing it by Paraguayan keeper Orlando Gil.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
In fact, it can be rewarded for sticking the landing.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Kane looked laboured and lost at Euro 2024 but England should be getting the best version of him in the coming weeks, which gives them a chance of beating any opponent.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Renard led the team in the 2022 World Cup, famously beating Argentina 2-1 in the group stage.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hosing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hosing. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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