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 adjective

Examples of water down in a Sentence

watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Today, movies and TV intended for the biggest audience possible often water down their storytelling and generalize in order to avoid anything that might challenge, frighten or unsettle the audience. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 30 May 2025 Political pressure was building to water down the rules and extend the use of ICE beyond 2035. Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 That made the remarks Sunday about Putin stand out, though his later criticism of Zelensky watered down their impact. Ian Swanson, The Hill, 26 May 2025 What began in the 1860s with German immigrants pushing wooden carts filled with boiling weenie water down the Bowery has evolved into the towable aluminum workhorses of today. Daniel Modlin, Saveur, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for water down

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water down was in 1811

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20down. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.

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