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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Finish by scrubbing with a sponge and rinsing well.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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Making sure the steaks have been fully thawed and brought to room temperature is the first crucial step for most people, but others have memories of their parents or grandparents rinsing steak in the sink, or perhaps soaking it in water, before the prep work begins.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Scrub with a toilet brush, then wait six minutes before flushing again.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
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Liberation movements were like chemotherapy, flushing our systems to reboot their chemistry at the cellular level.—
Syda Segovia Taylor,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These coverings should be removed once seedlings sprout to prevent fungal diseases like damping off.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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Ride quality is another major focus of the Buick Electra E7, which is equipped with a pre-emptive RTD continuously variable damping suspension system designed to adapt in real time to changing road conditions.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The checklist for cleaning the kitchen was probably just washing dirty dishes, wiping down countertops, and mopping the floors.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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Maintain good foot hygiene by washing feet at least daily.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That's just because the sugar, again, is dampening that effect.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Jan. 2026
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Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moistening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moistening. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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