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
Plants are less likely to catch fire if they are properly irrigated, pruned to remove all dead material, and free of fallen leaves, needles and twigs.
—
The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Government officials have redirected the river’s water from Isfahan to Yazd and other neighboring provinces for agricultural and industrial use, leaving the riverbed surrounding Si-o-Se Pol dry for most of the year, apart from periods when dams are opened to irrigate wheat fields east of Isfahan.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
The moratorium from the Idaho Department of Water Resources seeks to address water table questions in Southwest Idaho, affecting applications to irrigate some 7,000 acres of farmland.
—Noah Daly
may 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026
Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, but it was drained to irrigate crops, and has reappeared only occasionally when floodwaters return.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Government officials have redirected the river’s water from Isfahan to Yazd and other neighboring provinces for agricultural and industrial use, leaving the riverbed surrounding Si-o-Se Pol dry for most of the year, apart from periods when dams are opened to irrigate wheat fields east of Isfahan.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
The moratorium from the Idaho Department of Water Resources seeks to address water table questions in Southwest Idaho, affecting applications to irrigate some 7,000 acres of farmland.
—Noah Daly
may 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026
Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, but it was drained to irrigate crops, and has reappeared only occasionally when floodwaters return.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigate
Verb
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The Best Way To Dry A Swimsuit After washing out sunscreen, salt, chlorine, and body soil from your swimsuit (handwashing is best), rinse it thoroughly in cool water.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
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Allow the solution to sit and break down stains for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with cool water.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
12 June 2026
Verb
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During a phase of sleep called slow-wave, the brain’s vascular system pulses rhythmically, literally pumping cerebrospinal fluid through its innards and washing them clean.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
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Dry the shelves and bins washed with soapy water, and return them to the refrigerator.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Detainees at the facility have reported a lack of access to lawyers and poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that do not flush, floors flooding with fecal waste and insects everywhere.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
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Mahomes was flushed right but managed to get off a deep pass across his body to Hill for a 48-yard completion that set up the game-tying touchdown.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigate. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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