water down

verb

watered down; watering down; waters down

transitive verb

: to reduce or temper the force or effectiveness of

watered down the plan

watered-down

ˈwȯ-tərd-ˈdau̇n 

ˈwä-

adjective

Synonyms of water down

• dilute
• load
• dirty
• cut
• pollute
• poison
• infect

Examples of water down in a Sentence

watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices

Recent Examples on the Web

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

In August, media reported that Slovenia forced the EU to water down a statement condemning the Israeli settlements, drawing criticism at home and praise from Israeli officials. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Reality says Miami will be forced to play its seventh, if not eighth offensive lineman for at least five games in 2026 because a Dolphins offensive line is annually watered down by injuries. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026

But the administration has also been working to water down historic-preservation rules governing federal projects just as the arch has become subject to that process. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for water down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown