1
as in to purge
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
in an elaborate ritual the priestess cleansed the gathering of supplicants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to clean
to remove the dirt from
cleanse the wound with soap and water before applying the bandage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cleanse
Glamour’s Calle likes to use it to cleanse her face as well.
—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 10 July 2025
This softening cleansing oil can easily be added to any existing skin-care routine.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 11 July 2025
Just make sure this step comes after cleansing and applying toner and serum.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 8 July 2025
This is a powerful time to end leases, cleanse your space, or move toward a more aligned home base, literally or metaphorically.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanse
Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 10 July 2025
This softening cleansing oil can easily be added to any existing skin-care routine.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 11 July 2025
Just make sure this step comes after cleansing and applying toner and serum.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 8 July 2025
This is a powerful time to end leases, cleanse your space, or move toward a more aligned home base, literally or metaphorically.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleanse
Verb
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During a May 19 town hall meeting with NIH staff members, Jay Bhattacharya, the institute’s new director, equivocated when asked about funding cuts for research into improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities — cuts made under the guise of purging DEI from the government.—
Rachana Pradhan,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
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All 12 seasons and 264 episodes of MSW were purged from Peacock this morning, despite the fact that the series is owned and distributed by Universal Television, sibling studio to the streamer.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Failing to clean dirty clothing or fabrics gives larvae an ideal food source.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
30 July 2025
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Todd, 56, began by discussing an inmate who suffered a lung health issue after allegedly being forced to clean asbestos and black mold without a respirator.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cleanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleanse. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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