to sponge
3
2.1
- verb
- /spʌndʒ/
- I pulled back the sheets, pulled up her nightgown, and tried to sponge her clean.
- sponge away
- Then gently sponge
Examples
-
OK, So I'm then just using the sponge to blend it out.
-
Anyways, I'm just going to take my sponge and run that through.
-
And I will now sponge that on in.
-
Oh God, just take that down with my sponge if I can.
-
You will sponge the blood as I do now.
-
Now we're going to use the sponge to kind of blend this in.
-
Sponge the blood away when it returns.
-
All you have to do is sponge down with a little kerosene.
-
The last camper to follow suit has to clear the dishes and sponge the table.
Fiction book (2002) -
Please sponge the stains off the table before the guests arrive.
Synonyms
168
2.7
To clean something by running water through it
145
1.0
To clean something by rubbing it hard with a brush and water
82
1.0
To wash something with water to remove soap or dirt
71
1.0
To clean a floor with a long handle and wet cloth
36
4.0
To clean a surface or put liquid on it using a cotton stick
20
2.6
To take in liquid completely like a sponge or cloth
15
3.4
Take a thin layer off the top of a liquid
15
2.6
To remove liquid or dirt from a floor with a cloth
12
1.8
To clean a surface using a cloth or towel to remove a spill
4
4.1
To remove liquid by pressing a soft cloth or paper against a surface
4
3.3
To absorb liquid using a sponge, cloth, or piece of bread
1
3.7
Clean a person or surface by rubbing with a wet cloth
1
2.6
To rub a surface with a wet sponge to clean it
1
3.7
To take liquid from a surface using something like a cloth
1
4.7
To remove liquid from a surface by wiping it with a cloth
1
6.2
To put liquid or paint on a surface using a sponge
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
1
6.3
A natural pad of dried plant fibers from a luffa fruit used for washing skin or dishes
1
4.7
A light cake made from two sponge layers sandwiched with jam and usually cream
- Specialized
1
8.8
A sea animal with a skeleton of thin glass-like threads that lives on the ocean floor
- Specialized
1
3.0
A soft sponge in a fish tank that traps dirt and adds air while letting good bacteria grow
1
7.6
A mushroom you can eat with a soft, sponge-like head covered in pits and ridges
A climbing plant whose young fruits are edible and whose dried mature fruit makes a natural sponge
How Thorough
Surface Forms
Etymology
The verb sponge comes from using a sponge (the cloth or sea animal) to wipe or soak up liquid. So to sponge something is to clean or remove liquid by 'soaking it up'.