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Synonyms

dry out

British  

verb

  1. to make or become dry

  2. to undergo or cause to undergo treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dry out Idioms  
  1. Undergo a cure for alcoholism, as in After years of constant drinking, he realized that he needed to dry out. [1960s]


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.

See Examples For:

Dermatologists say it’s somewhat easier to treat acne on the face compared with the rest of the body because the face has more sweat glands and doesn’t dry out as easily.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Deep floodwaters in Bangkok drove thousands of residents into shelters as others scrambled to buy groceries or dry out their homes on Sunday after days of heavy rain inundated markets, roads and residences.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Richards said: "They don't need to be fed. A lot of people are thinking: 'It's bone dry out there, everything is brown', but the deer don't need supplementary feeding here at Richmond Park."

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

"When the ferns dry out, the thick mats act as the ideal fuel to trigger massive wildfires," Van de Schootbrugge explains.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

The acorns were losing their green color too, and the hulls were beginning to dry out.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

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