moistened

verb

past tense of moisten
as in wet
to make or become slightly or moderately wet moisten the cloth before cleaning with it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of moistened Mix with a spatula until the dry ingredients are just moistened; do not overmix. — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 Drizzle in 1/4 cup melted butter; stir until evenly moistened and crumbly. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026 After watering, dig a small hole to check if the top 6 inches or so of soil are moistened. — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026 Fan and towels There are dozens of cooling products soccer lovers can use to stay cool, such as portable fans and hand towels that can be moistened with water. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 18 June 2026 Add the milk and vanilla; stir just until batter is moistened. — Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026 At least, this time, unlike the December 2023 inspection, only natural juices moistened the ham and the rice looked insect-free. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026 With gloved hands, press lightly on the top so the ingredients are moistened by the milk. — Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moistened
  1. wet
  2. rinsed
  3. flushed
  4. washed
  5. damped
  6. dampened
Verb
  • One of these chambers contains a disc of fabric that is pre-wetted with water, one contains a foaming agent made up of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium bicarbonate (the main component of baking soda), and one contains a drop of eye medication.
    — Ben Coxworth October 23, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Per a guide from Nectr, saliva wets the pouch and releases its ingredients, and how much is actually absorbed depends on the formulation and how the pouch is used.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • An employee also rinsed off their hands at the sprayer for the dish machine as a means of washing their hands.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The tongs used to grab pastelitos, croquetas and empanadas from the hot box had been in use more than four hours without being washed, rinsed and sanitized again.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of rinsed
Verb
  • While typically flushed out within a day, a small amount can build up in fat tissue with daily exposure.
    — Tracy Middleton, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Hair and other solid debris can be pulled out of the drain this way, while grease and soap scum clogs can be physically broken up by the drain snake or auger, then flushed with hot water to clean the line.
    — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of flushed
Verb
  • There are also options of the classic, loose-fitting hip-length in washed medium-tone denim and versions lined with flannel.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • An employee washed hands without drying them with paper towels.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of washed
Verb
  • Start with a clean cloth damped with plain water.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Use a cotton ball damped with rubbing alcohol and rub over the area.
    — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of damped
Verb
  • Widespread summer heatwaves across Europe in 2026 also dampened chocolate consumption, leaving the broader industry grappling with sluggish volume growth.
    — , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • If those winds are preceded by sufficient rains, the risk of large fires is dampened.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of dampened

Browse Nearby Words

moisten
moistened
moistening
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moistened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moistened. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All