as in rinsing
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 irrigating
Make sure plants are well watered going into fall and winter, and check soil moisture regularly over winter, irrigating as needed to maintain moist, but not wet, soil.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026
Under the agreement, Riverview will stop irrigating 2,000 acres of crops in phases within 12 years.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
As images reach us in fragments, sound weaves a continuity from off-screen to on-screen, carrying the emotion through the film and irrigating the streams of images, like water flowing.
—Cátia Rodrigues, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Thirsty data That Lake Mead’s worth of water that has disappeared from beneath the lower Colorado basin has gone largely to irrigating alfalfa and other food for cows, much of which is exported.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
That Lake Mead’s worth of water that has disappeared from beneath the lower Colorado basin has gone largely to irrigating alfalfa and other food for cows, much of which is exported.
—Mark Gongloff, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
It’s been around since people have existed and has been used for cultural practices, capturing drinking water and irrigating crops.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026
Under the agreement, Riverview will stop irrigating 2,000 acres of crops in phases within 12 years.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
As images reach us in fragments, sound weaves a continuity from off-screen to on-screen, carrying the emotion through the film and irrigating the streams of images, like water flowing.
—Cátia Rodrigues, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Thirsty data That Lake Mead’s worth of water that has disappeared from beneath the lower Colorado basin has gone largely to irrigating alfalfa and other food for cows, much of which is exported.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
That Lake Mead’s worth of water that has disappeared from beneath the lower Colorado basin has gone largely to irrigating alfalfa and other food for cows, much of which is exported.
—Mark Gongloff, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
It’s been around since people have existed and has been used for cultural practices, capturing drinking water and irrigating crops.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigating
Verb
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Then, give the item a quick wash with a mild dish soap, rinsing again a final time to completely remove any lingering odors or stickiness.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
4 Mar. 2026
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For this method, Sokolowski suggests sprinkling baking soda on a damp microfiber cloth, then scrubbing the curtain and rinsing with warm water before hanging to dry.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Safety Considerations Burns are the biggest risk when flushing a water heater.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Feb. 2026
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Ever wondered about the science behind flushing during a flight?—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sort your laundry — but not by color The once cardinal rule of separating darks from whites before washing them has flown the coop.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Sophie has spent so long this season being a role of service, and for Benedict to now be washing her hair and then pleasuring her felt like a really nice switcheroo that Sophie deeply deserved.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irrigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigating. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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