soak 1 of 2

soak

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to gouge
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services a merchant who soaks the tourists every summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in to drink
to partake excessively of alcoholic beverages depressed about his love life, he repaired to a bar to soak

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word soak different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of soak are drench, impregnate, saturate, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

When might drench be a better fit than soak?

In some situations, the words drench and soak are roughly equivalent. However, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

Where would impregnate be a reasonable alternative to soak?

The words impregnate and soak can be used in similar contexts, but impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

When could saturate be used to replace soak?

The synonyms saturate and soak are sometimes interchangeable, but saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

When can steep be used instead of soak?

While in some cases nearly identical to soak, steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

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 soak
Noun
Because nothing neutralizes a high-stakes meeting like a foot soak. Janine MacLachlan, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 In Jemez Springs, the hot springs themselves are worth a soak. Zach Wichter, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Make sure the water is warm, not hot, and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 18 Sep. 2025 The property itself features nine bedrooms, most which have ensuite bathrooms with soaking tubs, terracotta and stone floors, exposed stone walls, and bright and airy rooms doused in bright colors like marigold to cerulean. Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for soak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soak
Noun
  • Desmond, her husband, had returned from the war, not physically wounded, but mentally damaged, and was becoming an alcoholic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Staples, played in the movie by Emily Blunt, was a recovering alcoholic, and the couple’s fraught journeys with sobriety led to feelings of abandonment and bitterness.
    Rory Doherty, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Younger people in developing countries are much more likely to be excited about emerging technologies than their peers in countries that are saturated with technology.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Because we are just saturated with these images.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Predatory resellers - including Live Nation itself - should no longer be allowed to gouge and deceive fans under the guise of access to live music.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Successive hurricanes had gouged a hole in the Sunshine State, leaving several private carriers insolvent — and leaving hundreds of thousands of their customers with no choice but Citizens.
    Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Before going in, run the inside of your mouth with your tongue to wet every surface.
    Ian Kumamoto, Them., 10 Sep. 2025
  • Increase the resistance on this exercise by wetting the towel first.
    Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Health asked three cardiologists which beverages people shouldn’t drink while taking blood pressure medications.
    Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Imagine knowing a fan has attended five shows in a year, loves heavy metal, drinks mocktails and always buys merch.
    Geoff Robins, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In 1984, a 20-year-old woman named Kathleen Barry was killed in a drunk-driving crash, prompting legal reforms in Massachusetts.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Yes, that is not a way to clear herself from the problem of very publicly calling Shannon a drunk.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of getting drowned out by the tech wave, Preston advises young people to ride it.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
  • While two were found drowned, authorities have done little to locate the remaining three missing men — prompting criticism from relatives, community members and local advocates.
    Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Salt stung eyes and clung to skin, while the smell of brine and fish hung heavy in the air.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • At a family gathering in Huntsville, Alabama, I was stung by the divisive image on my 16-year-old relative’s T-shirt.
    Sabrina S. Fu, Twin Cities, 18 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Soak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soak. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

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