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Synonyms

do the dishes

Idioms  
  1. Wash the plates, glasses, and silverware used at a meal. For example, If you walk the dog, I'll do the dishes.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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"Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help mom do the dishes," an X user commented, referencing a quote by American author PJ O'Rourke.

From BBC Jun. 19, 2026

The humanoid bot can do the dishes, clean and fold laundry, but for now it also requires a human puppet master.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 31, 2025

Meredith Olan, director of the Banner House history museum, has been hauling water from the creek and boiling it just to do the dishes.

From Salon Nov. 25, 2024

He told Slate that Cannon’s reasoning reads as “kind of saying that she didn’t do the dishes and therefore the dishes are dirty.”

From Slate May 15, 2024

I went to the sink to do the dishes we’d left two days ago, but when I turned on the faucet, nothing happened.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

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