winterize

American  

[win-tuh-rahyz] / ˈwɪn təˌraɪz /

especially British, winterise

verb (used with object)

winterized, winterizing

1. to prepare (an automobile, house, etc.) for cold weather by (in automobiles) adding antifreeze and changing oil or (in houses) adding insulation, heating units, etc.

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verb (used without object)

winterized, winterizing

1. to winterize an automobile, house, etc.

winterize British  

/ ˈwɪntəˌraɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to prepare (a house, car, etc) to withstand winter conditions

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Other Word Forms

• winterization noun
• winterizer noun

Etymology

Origin of winterize

First recorded in 1925–30; winter + -ize

Example Sentences

After the 2021 disaster, Texas required power producers to winterize their plants better.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

The issue was electricity providers failing to heed warnings to winterize their aging infrastructure, which buckled when the cold hit.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2021

“You can’t be freezing and enjoy dinner,” said Payal Sharma, a co-owner who said the restaurant was spending $20,000 to winterize.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2020

So when fall arrived, I decided to take the necessary steps to winterize the house.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 8, 2018

The refu­gee agency appealed for nearly $100 million to winterize tents and sanitation systems while it warned of more deaths among refugees “if adequate measures are not taken.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2015