sponge

Kreiz has been involved in major restructurings too and can act as something of a pain sponge for Ellison when the company starts making its cuts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

He smooths the features of the head -- which he says weighs more than a ton -- with a yellow sponge, while another craftsman adds clay to the fingers of the enormous hands.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

"You would assume that such an impact would have shattered Phobos, unless it has a very low homogeneous density, like a sponge that can absorb that kind of impact," says Haser.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

"Hopefully, it will make the land act like a sponge and hold all that water."

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

I submerged the sponge in the basin to hide my trembling, dismayed by the depths of my rage.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

The hero of bog creation, Ms. Turetsky relates, is sphagnum moss, one of nature’s most efficient sponges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The geographic features are hot spots of biodiversity, with corals, sponges and even an octopus garden, just like in the Beatles song.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Environmentalists also say river bank fortifications destroy shallow-water zones where aquatic life and insects breed -- and the adjoining natural floodplains that act like sponges at times of excess water.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Tommy, who used acrylic paint and a mixture of brushes and sponges to achieve different textures, said: 'I just wanted to make something colourful, plus feet are easier to draw than faces!

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

Divers harvesting sponges on the ocean floor using only a hollow reed to breathe through remained a prime industry on the Greek islands.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

The magnesium had an unexpected beneficial effect: It "sponged out" inadvertent impurities in the tantalum and, as a result, raised the temperature at which it operates as a superconductor.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2024

Pastor Pam and Jen lowered me gently to the ground, a kneeling, knowledgeable Officer K sponged me to consciousness and remained with me until the Fire Department arrived.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 8, 2022

Maintenance and repairs sponged up dollars so fast that had lawmakers not acted, no money would have been left for new construction or even to unlock federal matching grants.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2022

In 1842, the astronomer Chuang calls "the rock star scientist of his generation" introduced the cyanotype process, in which an iron salt solution is sponged or brushed onto paper to sensitize it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2018

She brushed her hair and put it up and covered it with a sleeping cap, and she sponged her face with Florida water.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Alice spends her days cleaning Lady Jemima’s stinky shoes, sponging her underwear and greasing her long blonde hair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

There’s a lot of scraping and sponging involved.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 19, 2023

I’ve got her stool and her bucket and her towel, and I’m sponging her off on a nightly basis, sending her back into the fray.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2022

Wetlands also act as our planet's kidneys, sponging up excess rainwater to prevent flooding, and filtering out some sediment and contaminants before they can reach springs, creeks, groundwater, ocean.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2021

And she so appreciated Charles’s letters: “Your minute accounts are such a comfort and I enjoyed sponging our dear one with vinegar as much as you did.”

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman