variants
also dowse
1
as in to extinguish
to cause to cease burning
douse the campfire before leaving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drown
to make wet
the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to remove
to rid oneself of (a garment)
in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
British
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
those soccer hooligans need a sound douse or two from a police officer's club
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of douse
Brad Stulberg, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
At Prabal Gurung’s fall-winter 2026 show, artists painted models’ lips a fiery red before dousing them in chunky glitter.
—Jessica Fields, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
The commission’s members also called for prioritizing additional water storage capacity in neighborhoods, and systems with external sprinklers to douse homes, parks and schools.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Verb
While waiting for medical personnel to arrive, do anything possible to cool them down—move them to the shade, strip their clothes, and douse them with cold water.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
At Prabal Gurung’s fall-winter 2026 show, artists painted models’ lips a fiery red before dousing them in chunky glitter.
—Jessica Fields, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
And his sense of humor douses jest over images that probably shouldn’t be funny.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
The commission’s members also called for prioritizing additional water storage capacity in neighborhoods, and systems with external sprinklers to douse homes, parks and schools.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douse
Noun
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Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and the strike was a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Leonard extended his 20-point streak to 49 straight games with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, welcoming hand slaps from teammates after hitting his second 3-pointer late in the game.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Emma Peschel beat the first-period buzzer with a slap shot to make it 4-0 and Sara Swiderski sent a shot from the blue line that deflected into the goal in the third.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One scenario nobody anticipates is a knock on the door from a Florida Department of Children and Families adult protection investigator.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Rizvi was the aggressor of the two, hitting four sixes and five boundaries while Stubbs’ 32-ball knock featured three fours and a six.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But that was one of just five hits in the game for Kansas City.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
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Javier Sanoja had three hits, Sandy Alcantara allowed one run over seven innings and the Miami Marlins opened the season with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lancôme’s Lash Idôle Curl Goddess Mascara gives you longer, more curled lashes in just a few swipes.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
28 Mar. 2026
-
When Doncic reached out to push Williams’ arm, Williams responded with a backhand swipe across Doncic’s face.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Moments later, a bass thump sounded in the distance.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Bruins didn’t play a lick of defense in their only home loss of the season – a 98-97 overtime defeat against Indiana.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
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There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After outshooting the Bruins in the first period, Minnesota continued to pressure goalie Jeremy Swayman in the middle frame, including a whack at an open net by Hartman that somehow missed.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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If someone is voting for a player that’s completely out of whack, like a team’s 12th man getting an MVP vote, everyone will know.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douse. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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