wipe down
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down
Meanings
Clean a surface with a damp cloth
Why “down”? The hand moves down along a surface. It presses, fixes, wipes, or checks it closely.
“Wipe down the counters.”
“Wipe down the table after lunch.”
Don't confuse with
Wipe down means clean a surface with a damp cloth. Wipe up means clean a liquid spill with a cloth.
Test yourself
“Wipe down the counters.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
wipe up
A contrast learners often mix up
Clean a liquid spill with a cloth
hammer down
Same down pattern: surface work
Fix something firmly into place with a hammer
hose down
Same down pattern: surface work
Wash something by spraying it with a hose
pat down
Same down pattern: surface work
Search someone by feeling over their clothes
rub down
Same down pattern: surface work
Dry or massage by rubbing firmly
smooth down
Same down pattern: surface work
Make a surface flat by stroking it
stick down
Same down pattern: surface work
Attach something to a surface with glue or tape
wipe away
Same base verb: wipe
Remove a mark by wiping
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “wipe down” in Sink In
Drill “wipe down” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
