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
For this, Langelo recommends moistening the soil to make the weeds easier to pull.
—
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Each watering session should deliver about 1/2 inch of water, moistening the soil to a depth of about 6 inches to support healthy root development.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
For indoor growers, Karsch recommends moistening your seed starting mix well before filling trays or small pots and planting, then keeping it moist with a spray bottle or mister.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 6 Apr. 2026
Your nose is better at warming and moistening the cold, dry air than your mouth.
—Susan Russell, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2025
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Each watering session should deliver about 1/2 inch of water, moistening the soil to a depth of about 6 inches to support healthy root development.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
For indoor growers, Karsch recommends moistening your seed starting mix well before filling trays or small pots and planting, then keeping it moist with a spray bottle or mister.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 6 Apr. 2026
Your nose is better at warming and moistening the cold, dry air than your mouth.
—Susan Russell, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moistening
Verb
-
Avoid wetting leaves and vines.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
12 May 2026
-
To achieve the bright look, Davy used a ColourPop eyeshadow palette, wetting the shadows with some water and using a concealer brush to apply them.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Removing fallen leaves and rinsing away dirt prevents excess nutrients from collecting in the water.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
-
Start by rinsing the vinyl siding with the garden hose and attached spray nozzle.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
In its statement, Synergy Marine Group said the use of the flushing pump was irrelevant to the cause of the crash, blaming it on a manufacturer's latent defect, the loose wire in the ship's electrical system.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout, the indictment said.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Late last year, former President Jair Bolsonaro endorsed his son Flavio as the right’s candidate, damping investor expectations that Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas would gain broader backing.—
Giovanna Bellotti Azevedo,
Bloomberg,
7 Apr. 2026
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While your seed starting mix mustn't fully dry out, keeping it overly wet and soggy can lead to damping off and other issues that will kill your seedlings.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So, the league is washing its hands of what the Chargers or any other teams might do to troll the Patriots.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Modern Perspectives on Laundry Sorting With the growing popularity of large-capacity front-loading washers in the late 1990s, consumers welcomed the possibility of washing all of the dirty laundry in the hamper at the same time.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In the wake of the immigration raids last summer, many of their potential patrons refrained from hosting celebrations, dampening their business.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
One of San Francisco's busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moistening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moistening. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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