wash down
Britishverb
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to wash completely, esp from top to bottom
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to take drink with or after (food or another drink)
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Clean by washing from top to bottom, as in He always washes down the walls before painting . [Second half of 1800s]
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Drink a liquid after eating food or taking medicine, as in He washed down the pills with a glass of water . [c. 1600]
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.
She pointed toward the charred hillsides to her north and said that there is a buffer if any debris should wash down her way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2025
Someone got the timing wrong Sunday at the oldest Grand Slam tournament, where the bubbly helps wash down the strawberries and cream.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 9, 2023
"I wash down meat when I cook at home and cater for others," Jackson continued.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2022
In the middle of Liselle’s party, a woman knocks at the door and asks if she can wash down the house’s windows for a few dollars.
From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2021
I bought us cider at a nearby pub, using mine to wash down the nahlrout, trying not to grimace at the bitter, chalky taste.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
