as in sprinkling
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
sprayed the lawn with pesticides
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of spraying
Nataliia had gone to the bus station, where soldiers were spraying foam to contain the nuclear fallout, and to the hospital, where men in white coats were unloading victims on stretchers from the backs of ambulances.
—
Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Keep your refrigerator spick-and-span by washing produce drawers with hot water and soap, and spraying all surfaces down with a disinfecting (but non-toxic and food-friendly) vinegar solution.
—Elizabeth Brownfield, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
Caglianone is spraying the baseball over the field.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Reiskind said that if there is an outbreak, there is often community-wide action to mitigate risk, like spraying for mosquitos.
—Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Dalton got her first start in the second game of last season and immediately began spraying the ball all over the field.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
At Château-sur-Mer, a mansion in Newport, arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts have been spraying the canopies of the century-old beech trees in a race against time.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
The interstellar invader comet 3I/ATLAS is spraying enough water into space to fill 70 Olympic swimming pools each day.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Portugues grabbed a hose and started spraying the mail carrier, who called police.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Keep your refrigerator spick-and-span by washing produce drawers with hot water and soap, and spraying all surfaces down with a disinfecting (but non-toxic and food-friendly) vinegar solution.
—Elizabeth Brownfield, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
Caglianone is spraying the baseball over the field.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Reiskind said that if there is an outbreak, there is often community-wide action to mitigate risk, like spraying for mosquitos.
—Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Dalton got her first start in the second game of last season and immediately began spraying the ball all over the field.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
At Château-sur-Mer, a mansion in Newport, arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts have been spraying the canopies of the century-old beech trees in a race against time.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
The interstellar invader comet 3I/ATLAS is spraying enough water into space to fill 70 Olympic swimming pools each day.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Portugues grabbed a hose and started spraying the mail carrier, who called police.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spraying
Verb
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Some suggest sprinkling it on the soil around your plants to keep slugs away, but baking soda has the potential of seeping into the soil and damaging roots.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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But in 2026, simply sprinkling in a few whimsical accents isn’t quite enough.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The crime scene stretched across multiple city blocks, with dozens of blue and yellow evidence markers dotting the pavement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Clean Mirrors If there are fingerprints and toothpaste remnants dotting your mirror, grab a Swiffer, glass cleaner, and a microfiber cloth.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chelsea dominated possession without peppering Lucas Perri’s goal, but United offered next to nothing in the other direction.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Fragrant blooms cover plants in spring, with repeat blooming through summer and fall, peppering the air with their distinctive clove-like scent.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spraying. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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