water down

verb

Definition of water downnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of water down Donalds has tried to defuse the issue by saying that SB 484, Florida’s watered down tech protection law, guarantees Floridians will never be hit with electricity rate hikes as a result of data centers. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 Ironically, the firmly conservative majority has watered down Roberts’s power. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Before then, a creek naturally allowed the flow of surface water down Television Road, court documents say. — Zuri Primos july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026 What feels like a quick rinse actually sends gallons of water down the drain. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
  1. dilute
  2. load
  3. dirty
  4. cut
  5. pollute
  6. poison
  7. infect
Verb
  • Some of the old guard accused Kılıçdaroğlu of diluting the party’s values.
    — Nick TaborAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The shift to apps deepened, rather than diluted, the customer relationship, unlocking always-on engagement, rich first-party data and a far faster cycle of product innovation.
    — Dana Dunne, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dilute
Verb
  • Better hygiene isn’t the only reason Bogoyavlenskiy and his team load silverware this way.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
  • After perfecting the design on their computer, Tiu loaded a drum of yellow ink into the printer.
    — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of load
Verb
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • The zipper shoe compartment keeps your shoes from dirtying up your clothing, and the massive interior can hold many outfits for your weekend getaway.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Trading firms began using low-latency (shorter delay) technology and co-locating servers inside exchange data centers, cutting trade execution times to milliseconds and making speed itself a competitive advantage.
    — Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bass defended her proposal to cut the climate office amid the budget crunch, which the City Council rejected.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut
Verb
  • Such plans are contrary to Indonesia’s promises to cut its use of coal, the most heavily polluting major fossil fuel and a significant source of planet-warming emissions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Environmental groups advocated for SB 954 over concerns that the CEQA exemption could allow heavily polluting facilities to bypass environmental review.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of pollute
Verb
  • Over the course of Exile, one of Loktev’s subjects is poisoned; another receives a five-year prison sentence in absentia.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This is the league, remember, where a man (Harvey Updyke) confessed to poisoning the trees at Auburn on a radio show after Alabama lost to the Tigers, and a coach (Jackie Sherrill at Mississippi State) castrated a bull to motivate his squad.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of poison
Verb
  • Yolo County health officials discovered a dead bird infected with the disease near Woodland in June and reported the year’s first sample containing the virus in early July.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • An infection from the bacteria can lead to death in young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems if they are infected.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of infect

Browse Nearby Words

watercrafts
water down
watered
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Cite this Entry

“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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