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to wash

to wash

258 2.3
To carry away soil or rock by moving water
  • verb
  • /wɔʃ/
translation icon : arrastrar
  • The river will wash away debris during the rainy season.
  • wash away
  • wash ashore
  • washed into the sea

And yes, soil gets washed into the sea by rivers, right?

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Examples

  • And yes, soil gets washed into the sea by rivers, right?

  • I hiked over, got my truck washed, washed my face in a stream, and drove shakily home.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • And you see this wave of water wash over below where your feet should be.

  • The entire Pacific Ocean will wash onto North and South America.

  • And now it's all being washed, washed away.

  • Without moving her head, she ran her gaze over the room washed with the early morning light.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The wind and the pouring rain washed over him in sheets, almost knocking him down.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The following morning, the rain had ended, and sunlight washed down, pale and fluid.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Wave after wave of enemy has washed upon this imperial rock, but to no avail.

  • A spotlight fell on the stage and washed over Stephen's profile and farther into the crowd.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to flush
vsto wash
168 2.7

To clean something by running water through it

is broader and includes natural flowing water without deliberate rinsing
leach
vsto wash
  • Specialized
154 7.7

The washing away of dissolved material from soil or other material by water

is more general and applies to moving water and shaping land not just solute loss
to wash away
vsto wash
33 2.1

Water or another liquid carries something away

is the broader sense including flow against and shaping land over time
to wash off
vsto wash
31 1.0

To remove something from a surface by washing with water or soap

is broader and often means natural flow shaping or moving material
to lap
vsto wash
11 3.0

To move gently against something while making a soft sound

is broader and includes stronger flows that change or remove land
to wash out
vsto wash
8 4.3

Carry away soil or roads by strong flowing water

is more general and also covers gentler flow and land shaping
to wash down
vsto wash
4 3.3

To move along with a strong flow of water

is more general and covers flow against or shaping land
to deluge
vsto wash
1 6.0

To cover an area with water

is broader and can mean normal flow or slow land shaping
to lave
vsto wash
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To wash someone or something gently with water

is more general and mainly describes natural water movements shaping or carrying
to sluice
vsto wash
  • Specialized
1 7.4

To let water flow through a gate to move or wash things away

is more general and does not require a gate or controlled channel
to overwash
vsto wash
  • Specialized
6.4

To flow over land or a barrier, covering it with water

is broader and also includes removing material and shaping land
to outwash
vsto wash
  • UK
8.5

To carry sand and gravel away by water from melting ice

is specific to glacier melt and sediment deposit rather than general water action
to whelm
vsto wash
  • Archaic
9.3

To cover something completely with water or soil

is about total submersion rather than moving water and shaping land

Antonyms

1.0

To make a place full by putting people or things into it

Idioms

8 6.7

Stop being involved and refuse to take responsibility for someone or something

5 7.4

To tell someone off for saying rude words, sometimes by putting soap in their mouth

3 6.3

Refuse to take the blame for a problem

2 7.0

A secret or problem becomes known later

To try to get rid of bad pictures or thoughts in your mind after something upsetting

To punish someone by putting soap in their mouth for swearing

To talk about private, embarrassing things in front of other people

Phrasal Verbs

117 1.0

To clean your hands with soap and water to remove germs

To clean plates, bowls, and cups after a meal

41 1.1

To wash the dishes after a meal

35 3.6

To be carried by water onto the shore

33 2.1

Water or another liquid carries something away

31 1.0

To remove something from a surface by washing with water or soap

15 4.4

To swallow food with a drink or ease a bad feeling by drinking

11 1.0

To wash your hands and face to get clean

9 2.0

Clean something using water to remove dirt or stains

8 4.3

Carry away soil or roads by strong flowing water

7 4.3

To make people forget and stop caring about something

to wash up
  • Informal
7 7.5

To become completely tired and unable to continue

5 2.8

Wash something with your hands instead of in a machine

4 3.3

To move along with a strong flow of water

To get rid of feelings like guilt or blame

2 4.6

Treat jeans with chemicals to make them look faded

2 4.0

Make a color on clothes become lighter when you clean them

To clean the outside of a car with water and soap

Clean clothes in a washing machine instead of by hand

to stone-wash
  • Specialized
1 4.6

To wash clothes with stones to make them look faded and soft

1 4.4

Cancel an outdoor event because of heavy rain

to wash out
  • Informal
1 4.8

Make someone feel very weak and tired

Wash clothes in a washing machine rather than by hand

To clean something using water to remove dirt or chemicals

Compounds

wash up
  • Jargon
1 9.3

A short time at the end of Parliament when bills are rushed through

1 8.2

A dry stream bed that fills with water quickly after heavy rain in a desert

1 1.0

A day for doing the family's laundry

color wash
  • Specialized
5.4

A thin see-through layer of water-based paint that gives a surface a soft blended color

color wash
  • Specialized
5.5

A uniform tint added across an image to change its mood

5.3

Large flat laundry items like sheets and towels that are ironed by machine

A place that cleans a car both inside and outside

prop wash
  • Specialized
8.4

A propeller or rotor pushes air backward that can shake things nearby

rain-wash
  • Specialized
7.7

The washing away of soil from the ground by rain

wash drawing
  • Specialized
7.5

A picture that uses thin watercolor layers to make soft shades and depth

Soft absorbent cloth used to clean and shine cars and other surfaces

wash room
  • Canadian
1.0

A public room with toilets and sinks for cleaning hands

Cloth that does not need ironing after it is washed

A fabric you can wash and wear without ironing

A bowl fixed to a wall or on a stand where people clean their hands and face

wash-hand stand
  • Archaic
9.9

A small table that holds a basin and pitcher for washing hands before indoor plumbing

wish-wash
  • Archaic
9.5

Unclear or silly talk without any real meaning

wish-wash
  • Archaic
9.9

A weak, watery drink with little taste

How Strong

to deluge
1 6.0
to flood
176 1.0
to wash
258 2.3
to flow
333 1.0
to trickle
70 3.4

Surface Forms

wash infinitive
washed past
washed past participle
washing present participle
washes third person singular

Etymology

Wash also had the idea of water moving and rushing from the old noun wæsc meaning 'a rushing of water', so to wash can mean water flowing over or carrying things away and slowly changing the land.