as in squeezing
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
when the guy failed to return with our money, we realized that we had been hosed
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Recent Examples of hosing
Aphids are often managed by hosing them off foliage using a strong stream of water.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
On the night of April 21, Toronto fire crews called time on the stunt, blocking access to the sculpture and hosing it down with warm water, Toronto City News reports.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
As buses loaded with evacuees pulled onto the road, members of the skeleton crew started gathering their belongings and hosing down buildings.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Residents were prohibited from watering their lawns or hosing down their cars; industrial operations, largely exempt from drought restrictions, kept drawing the water they had been promised.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2025
Drone footage shows crews hosing down a smoking pile of materials that caught fire at a northeastern Massachusetts recycling plant.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
The video — which name-drops the Euphoria star — sees Lizzo hosing down a Porsche while clad in torn denim.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
On the night of April 21, Toronto fire crews called time on the stunt, blocking access to the sculpture and hosing it down with warm water, Toronto City News reports.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
As buses loaded with evacuees pulled onto the road, members of the skeleton crew started gathering their belongings and hosing down buildings.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Residents were prohibited from watering their lawns or hosing down their cars; industrial operations, largely exempt from drought restrictions, kept drawing the water they had been promised.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2025
Drone footage shows crews hosing down a smoking pile of materials that caught fire at a northeastern Massachusetts recycling plant.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
The video — which name-drops the Euphoria star — sees Lizzo hosing down a Porsche while clad in torn denim.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hosing
Verb
-
While progressive Democrats are pushing to tax billionaires and close corporate loopholes, Republicans are warning that squeezing job creators will severely damage Illinois’ economy.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
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Higher fuel costs are leading to inflation and squeezing household budgets, while industries from manufacturing to transport are facing rising operating costs and supply disruptions.—
Julhas Alam,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Despite a series of stinging gerrymandering losses, Democrats remain favored to take back the House.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
How to Identify Peach Tree Borers Adult peach tree borers resemble stinging wasps, an evolutionary trick designed to scare away predators.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The Lightning historically have done a tremendous job plucking NHL talent from the middle rounds of the draft.—
Eduardo Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
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Which is why Hailey Bieber’s bright white, electric G-Wagon is parked just feet away from the office bullpen, where 20-something staffers of the full-service production company are plucking away at their computers.—
Lucy Feldman,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The ball trickled behind second, and Hoerner kept going, hustling his way to second.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Over the past few years, Google has been hustling to reinvent its business for the AI age, trying to keep consumers in the habit of going to its search page as chatbots from startups such as OpenAI and Anthropic become more popular.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Put the stopper back in the sink before re-screwing the pivot nut, horizontal rod, and sliding your under sink items back into place.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
-
Finally, the professional will install hangers to reinforce your gutters before screwing the mesh guard on top.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Verb
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And when everyone else in the classroom is a genius, cheating becomes a real option to stay ahead, especially in the sciences.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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Kevin appeared to reference his 2017 cheating scandal, which transpired while Eniko was pregnant with their first child.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Return to a boil, gently stirring the gnocchi to prevent sticking.—
Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
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Still, after sticking Annie so deeply in the psychological trenches, gesturing to the light at the end of the tunnel is also welcome.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Denise attacked Djena again, beating her until Mohamed and their eldest son, Ahmed, pulled her off.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
After the shooting, federal authorities accused Sosa-Celis and Aljorna of beating an ICE officer with a broomstick or a snow shovel during the incident, but those charges were later dropped after an investigation into whether the agents lied about the incident.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hosing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hosing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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