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
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as in to remove
to rid oneself of (a garment)
in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also dowse
1
as in to extinguish
to cause to cease burning
douse the campfire before leaving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drown
to make wet
the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of douse
Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 9 June 2024
Afterward, a Times investigation found the problem stretched back several decades and was possible in part because the inmate housing areas in the aging facility have no sprinklers to douse blazes or blaring smoke detectors to prompt jailers to respond.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
At the end of the video, Dion was doused in Gatorade alongside vintage footage of the teams’ coaches.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for douse 
Noun
The vast majority of wildfires are human-caused, most of them by accident, such as when people create sparks by mowing, drag connecter chains from RVs, or fail to douse campfires, according to Cal Fire.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 9 June 2024
Afterward, a Times investigation found the problem stretched back several decades and was possible in part because the inmate housing areas in the aging facility have no sprinklers to douse blazes or blaring smoke detectors to prompt jailers to respond.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Verb
As Israel waged its military campaign in Gaza, Israel also sought to douse Iran’s ring of fire, including by targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
At the end of the video, Dion was doused in Gatorade alongside vintage footage of the teams’ coaches.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for douse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douse
Noun
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And in what many consider the final blow to her mayoral career, Thao’s home was raided by FBI agents in July.Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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That will come as a bitter blow to the workers affected.The Week UK, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Even just the light congratulatory helmet slaps from his teammates feel explosive.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
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According to the tour agency, on July 3, two young members of an orca pod put on a grand and unexpected show for the whale watchers with playful jumping, tail slaps, and poking their heads out of the water to look around.Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 8 July 2024
Noun
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Instead, the focus in the final push has been for those low-likelihood voters with knocks to their doors, with digital ads aimed at specific demographics, and unrelenting phone calls.Philip Eliott / Detroit, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
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That’s not a knock on Knight, but rather, is indicative of the lack of attention paid to numerous midcarders on the blue brand.Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
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If Trump did withdraw American support, Ukraine’s defense against the Kremlin would take a massive hit.Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
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There are a number of events running concurrently with the skate rink, including Flashback Fridays with Classic Hits 103.7 radio station personalities playing hits from the 1980s; classical music on lazy Sunday mornings and a Black Friday dance party to burn off those Thanksgiving calories.Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The Rhode founder wore lots of black eyeliner on both her upper and lower lashlines, plus a swipe of pink lip gloss.Kara Nesvig, Allure, 1 Nov. 2024
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TikTokers have fallen in love with the intense volume that this mascara provides, creating a bold, luscious look with just a few swipes.Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The single shot rings out and then a thump as the animal hits the ground.Britta Lokting, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2024
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The group’s classic instrumentation got a new scaffolding of Jersey club drums, roiling sub-bass and reggaeton thump.August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
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This tribute to the ill-fitting celebrity guest spots on sitcoms of yore rises to incredible heights of lunacy and requires not a lick of prior knowledge about Little Richard to pull laughs from viewers.Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2024
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Because McMillan’s also one of the few collegiate wideouts who’s ever given Hunter a lick of trouble.Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
Noun
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How a sore foot can throw a person’s entire perspective out of whack.The Know, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
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Simone, the wrecking agent, causes tenuous systems to spin out of whack, with the events coming close to, but never approaching, real tragedy.Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douse. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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