verb

cleanse

klehnz

verb

To make thoroughly clean or free of impurities.

"She cleansed the wound before bandaging it."

"Use a gentle cleanser to cleanse your face at night."

To rid of something considered undesirable, corrupt, or sinful.

"The ritual was meant to cleanse the house of bad spirits."

How to Use Cleanse

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo thoroughly purify or purge something of dirt, impurity, or (figuratively) guilt.

Common pairings

cleanse the skin cleanse the palate ethnic cleansing

cleansed past tense, cleanses plural, cleanses singular

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Can you complete this real example?

She _____ the wound before bandaging it.

From Old English clǣnsian, "to make clean," built directly on the root of "clean."

expanse