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 Industry opposition already watered down one anti-smuggling bill, Bloomberg noted, and Huang recently snubbed a congressional invitation to testify on the problem. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 Bills similar to several of the ones signed this year failed to pass the Legislature or were watered down last year. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Davis said the operators of Oroville have asked River Partners whether the restoration at Dos Rios Norte could allow the dam to send more water down the Feather. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Without the winds, warm water in the east begins to flow back and eventually occupies much of the equatorial waters down to about 300 meters from the coast of South America to the middle of the Pacific. — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 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
  • Its prescribing information specifies that it must be diluted and administered through a vein.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • But for media organizations, allowing the proliferation of AI seems more likely to dilute, rather than enrich, the ultimate product.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of dilute
Verb
  • Keeping the ship flying night after night took around 100 roadies and stagehands, who had to disassemble it, load it up, haul it to the next city and reassemble it after every gig.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Crude oil tankers are docked and loaded at the Bajo Grande oil terminal on Lake Maracaibo in San Francisco, Zulia state, Venezuela, on September 1, 2026.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of load
Verb
  • Dirty Dishes Apart from making your kitchen look disorganized, letting dishes pile up can lead to food debris and grime dirtying your sink and attracting pests.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 2 Nov. 2026
  • To even wade into the arguments might dirty your hands, and mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Jovany Barragan’s second field goal — a 35-yarder on an untimed down — cut Serra’s deficit to 21-6 at halftime.
    — Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The verdict came just three days after regulators seized Ueno Bank, cutting nearly 3 million customers off from their savings and bank cards and setting off a political crisis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of cut
Verb
  • Already, nearly 18 million people in the United States, including more than 1 million young children, live near oil and gas wells that will now pollute more freely because of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s actions.
    — Elizabeth Bechard, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The new developments have been singled out for loud noise, polluting power generation, and for disturbing residential neighborhoods and natural landscapes.
    — Shannon Osaka, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of pollute
Verb
  • Aided in part by no autopsy being performed, alternate theories have thrived ever since, including that he was poisoned by a cabal of circus performers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Joe wants to poison Victor’s cup, but Katie thinks Victor would try to trade.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of poison
Verb
  • County officials claim three people have been infected with the virus following exposure at a dairy, but United Farm Workers (UFW) says the real numbers have been vastly underreported.
    — Tom Sanders, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Children would get infected, so they wouldn't get infected as adults.
    — Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of infect

Browse Nearby Words

watercrafts
water down
watered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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