Why can a dry kitchen sponge draw water into its small pores without being squeezed?

Answer: Water sticks to the pore walls and is drawn through connected gaps

The pore walls turn the liquid water into solid sponge material — Water entering a sponge remains water rather than becoming new solid sponge material. It occupies spaces within the porous structure and can later be squeezed or dried out.

Air trapped in closed pores pulls water in as it expands — Expanding trapped air would resist incoming water rather than pull it into closed pores. Connected pores let air escape as water enters, allowing capillary forces to draw water farther inside.

Water sticks to the pore walls and is drawn through connected gaps ✓ — Water wets the pore walls, and surface forces draw it into narrow connected spaces. This is capillary action: attraction to the walls and water’s surface tension work together, so absorbency depends on both material and pore structure.