sponge

As well as damage to natural habitats and animal life, Thomas warned loss of soil could increase flood risks, because it no longer acts as a "sponge" holding water on high ground.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

The enriched flour, high-fructose corn syrup, and tallow that help make up the American classic give each small sponge cake about 65 days to be consumed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

"The resulting material is like a sponge that can absorb large quantities of CO2 via the potassium hydroxide," Mezzenga explains.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

Households in Germany and North America volunteered to use one of three sponge types as part of their regular dishwashing routines while documenting how the sponges were used.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026

“You wet your fingers on the sponge and then touch your forehead and shoulders and chest.”

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

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

The “underwater city” of a barrier reef bustles with activity, with vibrantly patterned fish darting busily between corals and sea sponges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Even though the boats were fully loaded, why not dive down and see what kind of sponges grew beneath these unfamiliar waters?

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

“If you put water on them it takes the heat off. That’s why horses are sponged sometimes before or in the paddock and  certainly after the races.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2016

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

Wedging himself between Dickie and Marge, he becomes obsessed — an obsession in which the lines between befriending Dickie, sponging off Dickie and becoming Dickie are progressively erased.

From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024

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

I set it aside and go on sponging, trying not to hurt him.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron