1
a
: a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids
b
: a salt of a fatty acid and a metal
2
Synonyms
Examples of soap in a Sentence
Noun
Make sure you use soap and water to wash your hands.
The store sells many different brands of liquid soaps.
Her first acting job was on a soap.
Verb
I soap my hair first when I take a shower.
He soaped and rinsed the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Fox also received credit for Empire, the Lee Daniels and Danny Strong drama that launched in 2015 and was regarded by some as a primetime soap.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
Rinse your entire ice box with warm water to remove soap residue.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Editor Tip: The collection also includes the brand's Face Cream and Cleansing Oil, a gentler alternative to harsh soaps and cleansers found in standard washes.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024
Leighton, 55, also started on the show as a guest star in the nighttime soap's first two seasons before being upgraded to a series regular in season 3.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Most knits can be hand-washed in cool water and a little dish soap; woven garments — especially those that are lined — need to go to the dry cleaner.
—Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Any packaging is minimal: Paper covers some bars of soap and toilet paper.
—John Sowell, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024
To prevent cracking and warping, always hand wash your bamboo utensils using warm water and mild dish soap.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Set up an assembly line from soaping and scrubbing to rinsing to drying.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
There’s also no need to soap yourself up twice in one day, my cousin reminds me.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 July 2023
The Labigo Cordless Spin Scrubber makes cleaning easy, according to shoppers, eliminating the need to hunch over the bathtub and tirelessly tend to soap scum and hard water stains.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2023
This high-efficiency appliance has a unique two-stage detergent dispenser that releases soap in two different stages for more efficient cleaning power.
—Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2023
Fill a large bucket or basin up with water, then use a cup to pour the water over your head once or twice to get wet and soap up, and another scoop or two to rinse off.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2021
Some chose to soap up the bottoms of their tube, while others extended their arms and legs in hopes of being aerodynamic.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 5 July 2021
The original idea had also been bolstered by Ochoa’s own pre-filmmaking experience as a journalist wondering what went on behind the frosted glass and soaped up windows of north London’s secretive-looking Greek and Turkish social clubs.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2020
Noun
Vo was a junior in high school selling bath bombs at a soap shop in Downtown Disney when she was encouraged to audition for a lookalike role at Disneyland Resort.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Fox also received credit for Empire, the Lee Daniels and Danny Strong drama that launched in 2015 and was regarded by some as a primetime soap.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
Rinse your entire ice box with warm water to remove soap residue.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Editor Tip: The collection also includes the brand's Face Cream and Cleansing Oil, a gentler alternative to harsh soaps and cleansers found in standard washes.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024
Leighton, 55, also started on the show as a guest star in the nighttime soap's first two seasons before being upgraded to a series regular in season 3.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Most knits can be hand-washed in cool water and a little dish soap; woven garments — especially those that are lined — need to go to the dry cleaner.
—Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Any packaging is minimal: Paper covers some bars of soap and toilet paper.
—John Sowell, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024
To prevent cracking and warping, always hand wash your bamboo utensils using warm water and mild dish soap.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
Don’t try to multitask and rapidly soap up the colander between peeling potatoes.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Set up an assembly line from soaping and scrubbing to rinsing to drying.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
There’s also no need to soap yourself up twice in one day, my cousin reminds me.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 July 2023
The Labigo Cordless Spin Scrubber makes cleaning easy, according to shoppers, eliminating the need to hunch over the bathtub and tirelessly tend to soap scum and hard water stains.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2023
This high-efficiency appliance has a unique two-stage detergent dispenser that releases soap in two different stages for more efficient cleaning power.
—Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2023
Fill a large bucket or basin up with water, then use a cup to pour the water over your head once or twice to get wet and soap up, and another scoop or two to rinse off.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2021
Some chose to soap up the bottoms of their tube, while others extended their arms and legs in hopes of being aerodynamic.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 5 July 2021
The original idea had also been bolstered by Ochoa’s own pre-filmmaking experience as a journalist wondering what went on behind the frosted glass and soaped up windows of north London’s secretive-looking Greek and Turkish social clubs.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Soap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soap. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soap
1 of 2 noun1
: a substance that is usually made by the action of alkali on fat, dissolves in water, and is used for washing
2
: a salt of a fatty acid
3
soap
2 of 2 verb
: to rub soap over or into
Medical Definition
soap
noun1
: a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids
2
: a salt of a fatty acid and a metal
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