to wipe off
- phrasal verb
- /waɪp ɔf/
- She used a cloth to wipe off the dust from the table.
- wipe off the dust
- wipe off the paint
- wipe off his face
So you might see it as I wipe off my makeup.
- So you might see it as I wipe off my makeup.
Examples
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Make sure to wipe off any excess paint before we start the project.
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So you might see it as I wipe off my makeup.
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So after that I wipe off my face.
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Got some stuff to wipe off your face, too.
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The Guard tries to wipe off his hand on the wall.
Fiction book (1991) -
So now we're going to just wipe off this powder.
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I think I'm going to wipe off my foundation.
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I have to be careful or I'll wipe off all the powder.
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Just need to wipe off this glitter.
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The bartender came to wipe off the coffee table, and they all lifted up their drinks.
Fiction book (2000)
Synonyms
To clean and dry a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or your hand
Remove marks, writing, or digital files so they are no longer visible
To remove small dry particles from a surface by wiping or brushing
To rub material off a surface with something hard or sharp
To clean something by rubbing it hard with a brush and water
To clean a floor with a long handle and wet cloth
To remove something from a surface by washing with water or soap
To remove something from a surface by moving a cloth over it, like tears or dirt
To wash something with water to remove soap or dirt
To take things away from a place to make it tidy
Clean something using water to remove dirt or stains
To clean a surface using a cloth or towel to remove a spill
Come off a surface when something moves against it
To remove liquid or dirt from a floor with a cloth
To rub a surface with a small rough tool to remove something
To remove something so it is no longer visible or remembered
To remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard with a brush
Take a thin layer off the top of a liquid
Take oil or fat from the top of a liquid using a spoon
Erase a mark by using an eraser or cloth until it disappears
Remove a mark by moving a cloth or hand over it many times
To remove the top layer of something by rubbing it with sandpaper
To remove dirt or mud from a surface
Remove marks or stains from a surface so it looks clean
To rub a surface with a wet sponge to clean it
To remove dust or crumbs quickly with a light movement
Wear away the surface of something by rubbing or scraping
Antonyms
How Clean
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to remove something from a surface by rubbing or erasing' is directly derivable from combining 'wipe' (to remove dirt or moisture by rubbing) with the particle 'off' (indicating removal). This is a standard verb + particle compositional pattern in English (and mirrored in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Wipe off comes from the simple picture of using a cloth to rub something until it comes off a surface. Here wipe is the rubbing and off shows the thing is removed, so it means 'to remove something by rubbing or wiping'.