as in wetting
to make or become slightly or moderately wet
moisten the cloth before cleaning with it
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Recent Examples of moistening
Your nose is better at warming and moistening the cold, dry air than your mouth.
—
Susan Russell, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2025
Susan Russell, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moistening
Verb
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Some other unconventional methods include steaming the fabric to soften the threads and then stretch, as well as wetting the garment and then pining it down at the correct size, like how crocheters stretch out granny squares.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
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Now add a blob of water, wetting some of the sand.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mini candle jars can be used as paint cups too, or filled with water for rinsing artist brushes.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
31 Jan. 2026
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Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt per 2 cups of water and soak the grapes for 5-15 minutes before rinsing.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Tiny Hogwarts' bathroom, meanwhile, is at the opposite side of the home to the daybed area and includes a small floating vanity sink, a flushing toilet, and a shower.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Jan. 2026
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The immediate remediation steps included installing special water filters on all fixtures, flushing the systems and making plans for follow-up testing, county officials said Wednesday.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There is quite a bit of variability to Theon’s tuning and performance, from suspension damping and ride height to wheel/tire combinations and of course engine tunes.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
4 Feb. 2026
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By controlling whether tiny internal cells are solid or liquid, the blocks can change stiffness, damping, and movement without altering their overall shape.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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City officials pointed to health concerns — such as a lack of hand-washing stations and health permits — as reasons for more restrictive oversight.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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How Freezing Your Clothes Works While washing a garment is the easiest solution, most of the time the clothing targeted by the moth larvae—like wool, cashmere, and silk—is not suitable for typical laundering, which is where deep freezing comes into play.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Saturn leaving Pisces on February 13 lifts the heavy blanket of sorrow and exhaustion that’s been dampening your life force for the last three years, freeing you to unthaw a bit from the winter of your discontent.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
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Now there’s a comfortable space with a coffeemaker in the central outer room, as well as a private interview room that is insulated with ornamental sound-dampening tiles so children waiting next door can’t hear graphic details their parents are sharing with prosecutors.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moistening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moistening. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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