as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of water down
But the most basic reforms seem to require years of discussion and back-and-forth and watering down.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
The moisture that has already been absorbed by the soil will pull the additional water down more quickly to the roots.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Moving him elsewhere would water down his ability to drive beyond full-backs and get towards the byline.
—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Three federal health employees later told me political appointees had watered down the original language.
—
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
The moisture that has already been absorbed by the soil will pull the additional water down more quickly to the roots.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Moving him elsewhere would water down his ability to drive beyond full-backs and get towards the byline.
—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Three federal health employees later told me political appointees had watered down the original language.
—
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
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The expansion was supposed to dilute the product.
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However, stubborn inflation continues to dilute some of this momentum.
Verb
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After loading the bases, the Rays were able to manufacture their offense against Royals starter Noah Cameron.
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Tamales are loaded with bean, chile and cheese.
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.
Verb
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Kirkmeyer has campaigned on affordability and safety issues, Bottoms is pushing for a redo of the state's education system among other things and Marx wants to cut regulations and lower the cost of living.
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Terrell Carstens, a 25-year resident of Brookhaven, said she is frustrated the city made little effort to find places to cut costs instead of raising the rate.
Verb
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Compared with synthetic fibers, which slough off microplastics that pollute waterways, land and air, natural fibers can be grown or raised in ways that sequester carbon, improve soil health and reduce inputs like pesticides, resulting in a lower environmental footprint, Pingree said.
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This is because hot sunny conditions also aid the formation of super pollutants, like tropospheric zone, black carbon and methane, which pollute the air, causing impacting human health and damage to crops.
Verb
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The summer blockbuster, which premieres June 26, will follow Supergirl's three-day mission to obtain a cure for her superdog and friend, Krypto, who is poisoned by villainous alien Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
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Last year, harmful algae blooming off Southern California poisoned hundreds of dolphins and sea lions off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, causing strandings along popular beaches.
Verb
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The news comes as Lackland Air Force Base in Texas — home to the Air Force's Basic Military Training program — grapples with a flu outbreak that has infected 275 people in recent weeks, a congressional staffer with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.
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Hall was infected in the 2000s and diagnosed in 2006, according to the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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