1
as in to purge
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
in an elaborate ritual the priestess cleansed the gathering of supplicants
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2
as in to clean
to remove the dirt from
cleanse the wound with soap and water before applying the bandage
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Recent Examples of cleanse
The material included a history of Nazi Germany, reports on violence in modern Sri Lanka, documents about war in Chechnya, a book on clan cleansing in Somalia, academic reports on the Rwandan genocide and a paper on punishments used on enslaved people on 18th-century British plantations.
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Megan Specia, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Wash gently: Use a soft washcloth when cleansing your baby’s face, and do not rub the skin.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
To solve this, prioritize robust data management practices, including cleansing, consolidating and standardizing data across agencies.
—Komal Goyal, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
According to The Ordinary, after cleansing and drying the application area, swipe the serum directly to the upper lash line and eyebrows in the morning and evening.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for cleanse 
Megan Specia, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Wash gently: Use a soft washcloth when cleansing your baby’s face, and do not rub the skin.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
To solve this, prioritize robust data management practices, including cleansing, consolidating and standardizing data across agencies.
—Komal Goyal, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
According to The Ordinary, after cleansing and drying the application area, swipe the serum directly to the upper lash line and eyebrows in the morning and evening.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for cleanse
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“Cleanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleanse. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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