as in to rinse
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse
if you get the chemical in your eye, irrigate the eye thoroughly with water
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Recent Examples of irrigate
It’s protected from the salty sea breezes by the hills and well-irrigated, favorable for the roses and jasmine grown here.
—
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
Carter and her colleagues suggest fog harvesting could also be used to irrigate public parks or provide water to hydroponic farms, with less initial investment.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 20 Feb. 2025
However, there’s also friction between California, whose supply of Colorado River water is mostly used for irrigating crops in the Imperial Valley, and Nevada and Arizona, whose populations have been increasing dramatically (think Las Vegas) and need water for that expansion.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Los Angeles heavily relies on groundwater and winter precipitation stored in state reservoirs to irrigate crops.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
Carter and her colleagues suggest fog harvesting could also be used to irrigate public parks or provide water to hydroponic farms, with less initial investment.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 20 Feb. 2025
However, there’s also friction between California, whose supply of Colorado River water is mostly used for irrigating crops in the Imperial Valley, and Nevada and Arizona, whose populations have been increasing dramatically (think Las Vegas) and need water for that expansion.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Los Angeles heavily relies on groundwater and winter precipitation stored in state reservoirs to irrigate crops.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigate
Verb
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Leave-ins offer lightweight moisture, detangling, and frizz control, while traditional conditioners deliver deeper hydration that’s typically rinsed out.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
24 Apr. 2025
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Let the treatment sit on your scalp for 5-10 minutes before rinsing.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Reynolds’ colleagues found 97% of people had never washed them, and many were contaminated by bacteria, including E. coli, from foods like raw meats and produce.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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One of the incidents involved a mother and son whose vehicle was washed into a creek and later wedged against a drainage pipe, police told CNN affiliate KOCO.—
Matthew Rehbein,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Toilets release a plume into the air when they’re flushed.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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Drain and flush again before refilling with fresh water for use.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigate. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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