as in rinses
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 irrigates
Today, water from the massive lake, fed by the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, irrigates farms across the Central Valley and provides drinking water for Silicon Valley, including San Jose.
—
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
If there’s a long delay before the next rain, run your irrigation once every two weeks or once a month, depending on the types of plants each zone irrigates.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
Water from the Central Valley Project irrigates roughly one-third of California agriculture, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The river also irrigates more than 850,000 acres of farmland — the highest concentration of irrigated acres of any river basin in Colorado.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
The canal irrigates more than 108 square miles, the district said.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2025
Whatever irrigates the imagination and allows the soul to exhale.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
If there’s a long delay before the next rain, run your irrigation once every two weeks or once a month, depending on the types of plants each zone irrigates.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
Water from the Central Valley Project irrigates roughly one-third of California agriculture, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The river also irrigates more than 850,000 acres of farmland — the highest concentration of irrigated acres of any river basin in Colorado.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
The canal irrigates more than 108 square miles, the district said.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2025
Whatever irrigates the imagination and allows the soul to exhale.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigates
Verb
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The pH-balanced formula effectively lifts away makeup, bacteria, and daily buildup, then rinses off easily without leaving residue behind.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And believe me, a person who receives warmth, love, and care from us—who washes and styles their hair—is someone who walks back into the world feeling confident, inspired, and ready to spread kindness further.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
24 Feb. 2026
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The meaning of consciousness is immersion in multitudinous flowing tastes, olfactory rumors, vibrations, racing to understand before the ocean washes them away, these sensations like spherical and syncopated waves crashing against her hundred tentacles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The toilet flushes during this Super Bowl increased by nearly 300,000 from the previous year, said Déja Stewart, a department spokesperson.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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By breaking the bond, the residue flushes away more easily in the rinse cycle.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The floating center console creates handbag storage and an available dual pane sunroof floods the cabin with light.—
Scotty Reiss,
Parents,
24 Feb. 2026
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The title floods the screen, in lavishly flowing script, a whopping 49 minutes into this 108-minute neo-noir, not far off the halfway mark.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irrigates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigates. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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