WATER DOWN Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

water down

verb

Definition of water down

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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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

Verb

Mid-decade redistricting frenzy Vance suggested that Republican state lawmakers have every right to dilute the voting power of left-leaning Kansas City amid a bitter partisan fight for control of Congress.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
Too much success at entry prices comes with a risk of overexposure, diluting brand equity and perhaps training the consumer to hold off for even more price cuts, the report warns.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of dilute

Verb

Once lake levels are no longer safe for the largest ships to pass, the Panama Canal Authority, the agency in charge of the canal, begins to restrict their maximum draft, meaning how deep into the water the ships sink when loaded.

— Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
The company detected the problem when the new hire’s workstation began loading malware.

— Michael Engle, Forbes.com, 10 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

North Carolina Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives cut all ties with one of their candidates running for the state legislature after her past social media posts about violence against Republicans came to light.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026
Krohn put in new sprinklers and fire-safety systems after his last renters moved out a few years ago, then cut a hole between the second and third floors, allowing more light and air to filter through what is now a unified owner’s duplex.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 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

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watercrafts

water down

watered

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“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of water down

verb

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