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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irrigating
Change your watering practices if needed, and never mow right after a rain or irrigating the lawn.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Kunyu City, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of northwest China, hosts huge sprinklers that are irrigating over 1,317 acres (533 hectares) of winter wheat fields on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
This new statute requires various property owners, including HOAs, to either remove nonfunctional turf or begin irrigating it with reclaimed water.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
This new statute requires various property owners, including HOAs, to either remove nonfunctional turf or begin irrigating it with reclaimed water.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
The dam was built to control floods from the Colorado River while also irrigating the Southwest.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 23 Mar. 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
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Kunyu City, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of northwest China, hosts huge sprinklers that are irrigating over 1,317 acres (533 hectares) of winter wheat fields on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
This new statute requires various property owners, including HOAs, to either remove nonfunctional turf or begin irrigating it with reclaimed water.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
This new statute requires various property owners, including HOAs, to either remove nonfunctional turf or begin irrigating it with reclaimed water.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
The dam was built to control floods from the Colorado River while also irrigating the Southwest.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 23 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigating
Verb
-
While that does work, researchers found rinsing or soaking in water had the lowest median percent reduction of about 30%.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Swimsuit companies recommend rinsing after each use, then hand-washing with mild detergent every three to five uses.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
So far, Ramos said he’s donated all of his auto-flushing devices to CPS.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Use a toilet brush to scrub the entire bowl surface, then let the product stand for 5 minutes before flushing.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
In fact, keeping denim looking its best requires not washing them very often at all.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
Any washing machine leaks would cause excessive damage to carpet, and the flooring would likely need to be removed and replaced.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irrigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigating. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
