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
Critics argue the language was watered down during negotiations and intense lobbying from the platforms, reducing its impact on the biggest players.
—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
29 June 2026
The field would be watered down, the traditionalists protested.
—
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
Wait five minutes, and then pour another gallon of water down the drain to flush out any remaining mold.
—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
28 June 2026
But there may be more hoops to jump through to qualify for the pre-order deal, or it may be watered down, Lanzuk claims.
—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
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.
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
29 June 2026
The field would be watered down, the traditionalists protested.
—
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
Wait five minutes, and then pour another gallon of water down the drain to flush out any remaining mold.
—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
28 June 2026
But there may be more hoops to jump through to qualify for the pre-order deal, or it may be watered down, Lanzuk claims.
—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
27 June 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 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
