saturate 1 of 2

saturate

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How is the word saturate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of saturate are drench, impregnate, soak, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

In what contexts can drench take the place of saturate?

In some situations, the words drench and saturate are roughly equivalent. However, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

When could impregnate be used to replace saturate?

While the synonyms impregnate and saturate are close in meaning, impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Where would soak be a reasonable alternative to saturate?

Although the words soak and saturate have much in common, soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

When would steep be a good substitute for saturate?

While in some cases nearly identical to saturate, steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

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 saturate
Verb
Strategy conversations are saturated with the language of acceleration—first-mover advantages, blitzscaling, hypergrowth. Harvard Business Review, 10 Oct. 2025 The picture looks rich and detailed, and the colors are saturated in both dark and light scenes. PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Fully saturate mid-lengths to ends, avoiding your scalp entirely. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2025 Alternatively, saturate cotton balls with essential oil and place them near all possible entry points. Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for saturate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saturate
Verb
  • Later in the week, get ready for what could be Kansas City’s first frost of the season, with a good soaking rain coming by week’s end, the National Weather Service said.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
  • She was pushed into a soaking-wet corner of the concrete at the crossroads of Mass and Cass, the city’s painful addiction mile.
    Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Liver Liver is an organ meat that contains more saturated fat than poultry or fish.
    Merve Ceylan, Health, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Bold hues are the name of the game, whether this means going for the kind of saturated, chili pepper–adjacent red that flooded the runways of labels like Ferragamo or embracing autumn’s fascination with all things deep purple, courtesy of an earrings pair that pays homage to the humble eggplant.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Amber Smith and her husband, Granger Smith, lived every parent’s worst nightmare in 2019 when their 3-year-old son, River, drowned in the family’s backyard pool.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The couple had three children, the eldest of whom — Rupert — drowned off the West African coast in 1986.
    Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The corseted dress was meant to resemble dripping water with its dangling beaded embellishments.
    Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The rest of them gathered right beneath the trap, reaching up with pudgy arms and the tiniest fingers, eyes suddenly dripping tears.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The remnants of the former hurricane drenched much of the state with several inches of rain, but forecasters expect the wet and warm weather to finally dry out and cool down.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • For Slusser, the Seaquarium holds countless memories — from watching killer whales drench the audience during their shows to seeing nurse sharks and manatees being fed.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In that four-year timeline, John had moved out several times and even impregnated a woman when he and Lorena were separated.
    Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • In Episode 7, audiences finally got to see the creature in action after Arthur (David Rysdahl) is impregnated by the specimen, paying homage to Kane’s (John Hurt) death on the Nostromo.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The first campaign sees Doherty exploring and immersing himself within Jamaica’s vibrant culture alongside former Miss Universe Jamaica, Miqueal-Symone Williams.
    Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The rangy star has previously immersed himself in performances that require both physical transformation and pitching outside of his comfort zone (see his extraordinary work as abolitionist John Brown in the limited series The Good Lord Bird).
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Saturate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saturate. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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