as in sprinkling
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
sprayed the lawn with pesticides
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Recent Examples of spraying
Maintain its wariness of people by throwing a small object at it, making a loud noise or spraying it with a hose.
—
Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Cabrera walked the first two batters of the fifth inning, spraying uncompetitive pitches all around the zone, then got Colorado’s Edouard Julien to strike out looking.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
Aerial footage showed firefighters spraying water on several buildings that were on fire.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Build small habits like using a flat sheet, spraying fabric refresher, and washing pillowcases more often.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
Avoid spraying on windy days which can carry herbicide away from the target plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
Clean the oven racks separately by spraying them with white vinegar and sprinkling them with baking soda.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
These missiles are designed to explode in midair, spraying more than 180,000 tungsten pellets outward.
—Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026
Public mosquito control, such as spraying water with substances that kill larvae, is highly effective in reducing populations and the odds of disease, Ebel said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 June 2026
Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Cabrera walked the first two batters of the fifth inning, spraying uncompetitive pitches all around the zone, then got Colorado’s Edouard Julien to strike out looking.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
Aerial footage showed firefighters spraying water on several buildings that were on fire.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Build small habits like using a flat sheet, spraying fabric refresher, and washing pillowcases more often.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
Avoid spraying on windy days which can carry herbicide away from the target plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
Clean the oven racks separately by spraying them with white vinegar and sprinkling them with baking soda.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
These missiles are designed to explode in midair, spraying more than 180,000 tungsten pellets outward.
—Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026
Public mosquito control, such as spraying water with substances that kill larvae, is highly effective in reducing populations and the odds of disease, Ebel said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spraying
Verb
-
Clean the oven racks separately by spraying them with white vinegar and sprinkling them with baking soda.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
-
During Tuesday’s practice, which was the first of three on-field sessions this week, the Dolphins opened up the play-action game during the first 11-on-11 period by sprinkling in some running plays.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Start with a clear glitter base, then use a dotting tool to create white daisies with pink and orange centers.—
Rebecca Norris,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
-
Among the historic attractions dotting Route 66, there may be none more hapless and ill fated as the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Sunnei emerged on the international scene with unexpected and inventive show concepts, and the designers share with Franco Moschino a tongue-in-cheek attitude to fashion, peppering their collections with fashion commentary.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
21 June 2026
-
After doing a little drill work, Lewis spent the rest of the time peppering Morneau with questions.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spraying. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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