as in blows
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 removes
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 dowses
1
as in extinguishes
to cause to cease burning
douse the campfire before leaving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drowns
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of douses
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Outside, the rain douses the flames at the cooperage, but the situation still seems a bit explosive.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
The formula is enriched with Japanese red camellia oil, a lightweight, fast-absorbing ingredient that douses the hair in antioxidants.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for douses
Noun
-
Coming out the second half the teams continued to trade blows, after the Rockets took a 32-30 lead Xaverian responded with a 15-5 run to end the quarter to take a 45-37 lead.—
-
The Anteaters withstood an early jolt from Cal State Fullerton in their Big West Conference matchup, but came back with several blows of their own in an 86-64 win at Titan Gym.—
Noun
-
The fans are behind Sark, but no amount of attaboys or back-slaps can replace being in the same place as national semifinalists Indiana, Ole Miss, Oregon and Miami.—
-
After exchanging some slaps in the ring, Vaquer gained the upper hand and hit another Devil's Kiss on Nikki before going to the corner for a corkscrew splash to grab the pinfall win.—
Noun
-
Her 335 career steals trail only the 346 swipes that Linda Waggoner recorded from 1976-80.—
-
Wipe in circular motions with a lint-free microfiber cloth to loosen grime, then finish with long, horizontal swipes.—
Noun
-
Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.—
-
Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.—
Noun
-
The story draws from Filipino urban folklore, specifically a childhood ritual involving mirrors, candles and three knocks that serves as the narrative’s foundation.—
-
Nobody expected a year ago that the India-US economic relationship will take so many knocks—of which the HIRE Bill is another reflection.—
Noun
-
Eventually, Ginger's playful touches turn to rowdy smacks on Jesse's behind.—
-
Some biologists argue that more frequent smacks are a sign of rising ocean temperatures.—
Noun
-
Punch Makes a Comeback Exotic and nostalgic punches are taking center stage in home entertaining, offering both visual appeal and easy service.—
-
The humanoid performs spins, punches, one-legged stances, rapid kicks, and low sweeps, then transitions into aerobatic sequences.—
Noun
-
Like a puck zipping into a net at warp speed as the home crowd roars, Heated Rivalry has quickly and fiercely become one of the biggest surprise hits in recent memory.—
-
As a result, the film sees Jackman and Hudson perform a collection of Diamond's beloved hits, which jogged Moore’s memory.—
Cite this Entry
“Douses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/douses. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share