1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

moistens

verb

present tense third-person singular of moisten
as in wets
to make or become slightly or moderately wet moisten the cloth before cleaning with it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 moistens Buttermilk makes this cake tender while adding vegetable oil moistens the cake. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 May 2026 Users place the pouch between the gum and upper lip, where saliva moistens it and releases nicotine. — Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 12 May 2026 Dermatologists created this moisturizing lotion, which moistens your tattoo and creates a protective skin barrier. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026 Heavy rainfall will be possible from the thunderstorms later today as the atmosphere moistens. — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moistens
  1. wets
  2. rinses
  3. damps
  4. dampens
  5. flushes
  6. washes
Verb
  • Unfortunately, that only wets the top quarter inch of soil—a feel-good move for gardeners but not for roots.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026
  • Another Pearl Girl wets herself when the Eyes come for Thalia.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Definition of wets
Verb
  • Plus, its self-cleaning function rinses the brushroll after each use and dumps the debris into the dirt tank.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Moisture is why LaMarita never rinses cauliflower before tucking it into the crisper.
    — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of rinses
Verb
  • Ash wood damps the micro-vibrations of rough urban pavement in a way aluminum and steel can't match without extra engineering.
    — Omar Kardoudi April 15, New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2026
  • While the standard model damps the road irregularities, the S feels more glued down, even in its softest setting, Sport.
    — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of damps
Verb
  • An internal polymer maximizes energy transfer and dampens vibration – making shots feel soft and powerful, while soaring high and tight.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That pillowy feeling is thanks to their dreamstrike+ foam, which absorbs shock and dampens the impact of each step—especially important when walking on unforgiving surfaces, like cobblestones or concrete.
    — Shannon Bauer, InStyle, 28 June 2026
Definition of dampens
Verb
  • Sleep, for instance, isn’t downtime but active maintenance, when the brain flushes out cellular waste in ways that may help stave off dementia.
    — Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In deep sleep, your brain runs a clearance system that flushes out metabolic waste, including the proteins associated with Alzheimer's.
    — Sue Peschin, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of flushes
Verb
  • On the traditional-spa side, a JetPeel facial using Augustinus Bader products essentially pressure-washes my skin with nutrient-rich serums.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Continue reading … CREATOR'S REMORSE — TV legend Oprah washes her hands of any association with Dr Phil or Dr Oz.
    — , FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of washes

Browse Nearby Words

moistening
moistens
moistness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moistens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moistens. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All