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
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
Runoff pollutes water used to irrigate crops and provide water for livestock.
—Abraham Nunbogu, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
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
Runoff pollutes water used to irrigate crops and provide water for livestock.
—Abraham Nunbogu, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigate
Verb
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Rinse the bird bath, dump it, and rinse it again.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
5 June 2026
-
Seal garbage tightly in bags, and rinse out bottles and cans before placing in recycling bins.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
4 June 2026
Verb
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And in San Clemente, the pier was closed until Wednesday afternoon as waves reached its underside and appeared to break off some wood and wash it to shore.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
Dirty or dusty flags can be washed or dry cleaned, and there are no provisions against mending or repairing a flag, according to the American Legion.—
Darleene Powells,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Start by flushing the drain with hot water to help loosen grease and minor buildup.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
-
Empty cans travel down a track to a filling station, then past a purger that helps flush out the empty space at the top of the cans.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigate. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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