as in to rinse
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse if you get the chemical in your eye, irrigate the eye thoroughly with water

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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 irrigate However, there’s also friction between California, whose supply of Colorado River water is mostly used for irrigating crops in the Imperial Valley, and Nevada and Arizona, whose populations have been increasing dramatically (think Las Vegas) and need water for that expansion. Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025 Salmonella can be spread via contaminated water errantly used to irrigate crops, according to the CDC. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025 The river makes modern life possible across a vast swath of the West, providing water for approximately 40 million people and irrigating 5.5 million acres of farm land. Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2025 The latter are often irrigated during haying and grazed during much of the fire season, which reduces the vegetation fuels on the landscape. Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrigate
Verb
  • Once the egg is empty, rinse the inside of the egg to remove any remaining membranes.
    Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Who doesn’t rinse out (and ideally wash) a filthy blender filled with milky stuff?
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • An employee was seen sneezing directly into their hand and returning to work without washing their hands.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Because what’s really getting washed is the film as the paint rests safely beneath it.
    Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • According to National Geographic, symptoms from consuming the fruit of the tree can occur within about 20 to 30 minutes, as the body’s defense system prompts nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to flush the poison from the system.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Inspectors unsuccessfully tried to flush an employee restroom toilet four times, which led to a suspension of the shop’s permit.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrigate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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