wet down

verb

wet down or wetted down; wetting down; wets down

transitive verb

: to dampen by sprinkling with water

Examples of wet down in a Sentence

it will be easier to clean up if you wet down the surfaces first the stylist began by wetting down my hair
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Once established, the plants shouldn’t need much water, but the crossing will have an irrigation system installed that can be activated to wet down the crossing in the event of a wildfire. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 The state agency has carried out precautionary measures, including wetting down potentially at-risk areas with water trucks, placing backup generators at key field division facilities and creating staffing plans to continue managing State Water Project operations remotely upon evacuation. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 3 July 2024 The Dublin Fire Brigade on Friday morning said firefighters were continuing to wet down smoldering vehicles. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 To the south, plumes of smoke rose behind Kirkwood Mountain ski resort as officials used snow spreaders to wet down the area. Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2021 Her mom got out a hose to wet down their house. Dallas News, 26 Sep. 2022 Park managers try to minimize fire danger by reducing fuel loads, using fire-resistant architectural treatments on some structures, and (when necessary) resorting to irrigation systems that suck water from nearby lakes or tanker trucks to wet down landscapes around buildings. Kurt Repanshek, National Geographic, 14 Oct. 2020 With most of the crowd gone, the water truck can move much faster to wet down any portion of the route that remains dry. al, 28 Feb. 2022 Mines also use water to wet down roads to suppress dust. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 10 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wet down was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near wet down

Cite this Entry

“Wet down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wet%20down. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!