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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of douse
Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Add a douse of gravy, and a smear of cranberry sauce on the inside of the top piece of toast.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2024
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
Why hadn’t firefighters been on scene to help douse the flames — or at least persuade him to leave?
—Jean Lee, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Noun
The trail workers also maintain campsites, educate campers about fire safety and douse campfires that are left smoldering.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Add a douse of gravy, and a smear of cranberry sauce on the inside of the top piece of toast.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
The timing coincided with the extraordinary feat which sent fans into a frenzy, dousing Reed and his caddie in drinks.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
Why hadn’t firefighters been on scene to help douse the flames — or at least persuade him to leave?
—Jean Lee, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for douse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for douse
Noun
-
The film stars the gifted André Holland as a theater performer who becomes an amnesiac after suffering a violent blow to the head.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Mar. 2025
-
The loss was a big blow for the Kings, who played well without two starters but ultimately squandered an opportunity to move ahead of the Clippers for seventh in the Western Conference playoff race.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
He should have been gone after the Poole punch, or if not that, the Gobert chokehold, the Nurkic slap, or any and all of the above.—
Jon Krawczynski,
The Athletic,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Scott delivered a harsh open-handed slap to Rhodes’ ear while The Rock joined in to whip the champ with his belt.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The other knock against the 4201dw is its mediocre LCD and 360-degree dial controller.—
David English,
PCMAG,
13 Mar. 2025
-
So, that might not have been the biggest knock against New England.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Foul trouble plagues the Tigers Without Mitchell, the Tigers couldn’t afford any more hits to the lineup.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Verstappen's continued dominance, winning 19 of 22 races in 2023, and securing his fourth consecutive world championship last season, resulted in a hit to the sport's popularity.—
Olivia Hicks,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
After a single swipe, the formula feels lightweight—yet not inky (there’s hardly any transfer to my lids or under-eyes).—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Staying largely on-script, Trump made a few jokes and took a few swipes at Democrats.—
Marc Caputo,
Axios,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But there’s thump, there’s just an understanding of situations, ability to use the whole field.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Alonso slots back into the Mets lineup and fits perfectly behind new teammate Juan Soto, providing exactly the kind of right-handed thump the Mets were lacking.—
Tim Britton,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Great staff, great selection, not a lick of snobbery.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Duhaime says that's because of the Roman numerals of Super Bowl LIX (which sounds like licks).—
Bryan West,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The delicate balance gets thrown out of whack when Mark’s inner and outer lives draw closer together through a series of mysterious events.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
His skills were out of whack, probably due to an oblique injury and a hit-by-pitch on his throwing elbow.—
Gene McCaffrey,
The Athletic,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douse. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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