cleanse

1 of 2

verb

cleansed; cleansing; cleanses

transitive verb

1
: clean
especially : to rid of impurities by or as if by washing
cleansed the wound
It's that mystical state most athletes are lucky to achieve a few times in their careers. The mind is cleansed. The body is free. Jon Wertheim
2
: to expel, imprison, or kill (the members of an ethnic minority) in (an area) : to subject to or remove by ethnic cleansing
In 1996, tens of thousands of ethnic Tutsis, most of them of Rwandan origin, were murdered or ethnically cleansed in the Masisi region of eastern Zaire.David Rieff

intransitive verb

: to engage in or undergo a cleanse to remove toxins from the body
Some people who cleanse say they experience dramatic physical changes.Karen Hube

cleanse

2 of 2

noun

: a very restrictive short-term diet primarily intended to remove toxins from the body
Under the supervision of her nutritionist … Gillian Anderson has reportedly participated in cleanses that consist of little more than liquids for 10 days.J. D. Heiman
… told me about her 28-day cleanse, which limits the caffeine, sugar, gluten, dairy and red meat in your diet.Jon Harris

Examples of cleanse in a Sentence

Verb The cut should be cleansed gently with mild soap and water. in an elaborate ritual the priestess cleansed the gathering of supplicants
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Mims begins by cleansing my face, before going in with the bells and whistles: an exfoliating treatment, extractions, and a sculpting massage—featuring Epi. Annie Blay, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024 How to use cleansing oil Cleansing oil is meant to be the first step in cleansing; apply it to dry skin as oil cleansers are especially efficient at removing makeup. Iman Balagam, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024 The Los Angeles Community Action Network, one of the intervening groups, and other homeless advocates contend that the law is purely for the purpose of cleansing certain areas of homeless people. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024 Fake eyelashes can sometimes lead mites to come and feast because (a) people sometimes avoid cleansing their eyes to prolong the life of their extensions and (b) extra adhesive around the lash line can trap bacteria and debris. Ali Finney, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024 Instead, creators are recommending that people only cleanse their faces at night. Alyssa Hui, Health, 29 Feb. 2024 Amid all the whispers and innuendo that Ohtani was the perpetrator, he has finally been given an official title that cleanses the optics and polishes the image. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 During the testing period, we were impressed by how well this formula cleansed the skin. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024 Not your average water, this uses micelles to remove makeup and expertly cleanse the skin. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Complete with an sunscreen that can do double duty and a facial cleansing bar that’ll not only cleanse, but control puffiness from long flights, this list features the 11 best skincare and beauty picks, hand-selected by dermatologists themselves. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024 Wood is naturally antimicrobial, but requires handwashing, while plastic can collect bacteria but can be placed in the dishwasher for a deep cleanse. Rachael Hogg, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2024 The stringent cleanse and rejuvenation regime, once the sole preserve of princes, is often shoehorned into a five-day flurry. Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Feb. 2024 Boone encourages her to prolong a juice cleanse and notes the limpness of her new boyfriend’s handshake. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Together, these products work in synergy to cleanse, exfoliate, balance, and hydrate the skin. Theresa Johnson, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023 Find it on Amazon This Body Brush To Exfoliate Fast Shower time just got a lot more fun with this Body Brush that will work to cleanse, massage, exfoliate, and pamper your skin to perfection. Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 The Benefits Beyond giving your scalp a thorough cleanse, a detox can potentially help prevent pressing skin concerns that can lead to other problems. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 Suds up with this Clarifying Detox Shampoo to remove pollution, product buildup, excess oil and heavy metals found in hard water for a deep cleanse that will keep your locks fresher for longer. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cleanse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English clensen, from Old English clǣnsian to purify, from clǣne clean

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cleanse was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cleanse

Cite this Entry

“Cleanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanse. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

cleanse

verb
cleansed; cleansing
: to make clean

Medical Definition

cleanse

1 of 2 transitive verb
ˈklenz
cleansed; cleansing
: to make clean

intransitive verb

: to engage in or undergo a cleanse to remove toxins from the body

cleanse

2 of 2 noun
: a very restrictive short-term diet primarily intended to remove toxins from the body

More from Merriam-Webster on cleanse

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