water down
verb
watered down; watering down; waters down
: to reduce or temper the force or effectiveness of
watered down the plan
Examples of water down in a Sentence
watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices
Recent Examples on the Web
Harris said swift regulation is pressing because as AI takes over jobs, human political power could become watered down as human workers grow less valuable economically.
—
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
This was all before sources told The Times last week that Bass ordered an after-action report on the Palisades fire be — no pun intended — watered down to limit legal liability against the city.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Forcing states to become more cost-conscious also provides motivation for state officials to enforce rather than water down work requirements for the able-bodied, nudging them on a more productive path and away from government dependency.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Karen Bass denies ordering a report on last year’s fires to be watered down.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
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Jake Angelo, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
This was all before sources told The Times last week that Bass ordered an after-action report on the Palisades fire be — no pun intended — watered down to limit legal liability against the city.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Forcing states to become more cost-conscious also provides motivation for state officials to enforce rather than water down work requirements for the able-bodied, nudging them on a more productive path and away from government dependency.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Karen Bass denies ordering a report on last year’s fires to be watered down.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20down. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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