WASHING Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

washing

verb

Definition of washing

present participle of wash

as in bathing

to flow along or against crystal-clear waters gently wash the island's unspoiled beaches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in flying

to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval the employee's story about missing the bus didn't wash with her manager

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in splashing

to flow in a broken irregular stream soapy water washing down the drain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wetting

to make wet rain washed the countryside for days on end

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rinsing

to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse washed the baby's hair

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in stirring

to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly she absentmindedly washed her tea by tipping her cup, until the honey was at last mixed in

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 washing Usually, this means consuming the affected food or drink directly, or touching something contaminated and then touching your mouth without washing your hands. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2026 Trim green onions by taking off the root end and removing the outer layer before washing them. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 10 July 2026 Officials recommend people avoid bagged lettuces and buy whole heads instead, removing the outer two or three leaves before washing the inner leaves thoroughly. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026 When preparing lettuce, the state recommended throwing away the outer two or three layers of leaves and washing the remaining lettuce under running water. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 9 July 2026 For those that do have mitigation procedures in place, those measures are typically part of other broader practices such as reducing mechanical agitation during washing and improving machine maintenance. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 8 July 2026 Detergents containing lipase are not recommended for washing wool or silk to avoid weakening the fibers. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 July 2026 Or keep your blowout intact when doing your makeup or washing your face thanks to these adorable terry cloth headbands. — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 Simply washing them isn’t going to bring them back to bright white, but that doesn’t mean hope is lost! — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for washing

Verb

Then comes another character, Bernard, also young and who, while bathing one day, swims into a girl called Huguette.

— André Aciman, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Providing clean water for bathing in sheltered, clean bird baths.

— Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026

Definition of bathing

Verb

After flying toward a naval target over the Black Sea, the aircraft launched one of the supersonic missiles from a stand-off distance exceeding 120 kilometers, successfully destroying its target.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
The Piper Tomahawk had been taken on a test flight by a flying instructor in his 20s after a part was replaced on the plane, the airline said.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of flying

Verb

The mountain thunderstorms are expected to continue Monday and Tuesday but should be accompanied by wetting rains that dampen fire risk, with about a tenth of an inch of precipitation, Molina said.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Water in the morning deeply at the base of the plant using a soaker hose, avoiding wetting the leaves to prevent fungal diseases.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 July 2026

Definition of wetting

Verb

As many news reports will remind you, thoroughly rinsing produce under clean, running water is recommended, especially for fruits and vegetables with nooks and crannies where dirt and contaminants may become trapped.

— Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
Spray with hydrogen peroxide and wait 10 minutes before rinsing and drying.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 July 2026

Definition of rinsing

Verb

His comments come as state and federal health officials have confirmed 1,645 cases of cyclosporiasis as the cause of the stomach-stirring infection that is under investigation.

— Terry Collins, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Hans Zimmer’s score and Wally Pfister’s cinematography are just as stirring and invigorating as Nolan’s premise.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Definition of stirring

Verb

The result is an urgent, propulsive song with a raw spirit and some of Pop’s most super-charged writing with deceptively simple lyrics about love and war, dripping with desperation.

— Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
The simulations that captured the localized effects of individual large impacts also produced wholesale recycling of crust back into the mantle, with material dripping down to depths of at least 600 kilometers.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 5 July 2026