water down

verb

watered down; watering down; waters down
Synonyms of water downnext

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.
By conservative estimates, one air conditioner sends five gallons of atmospheric water down the drain daily. Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026 In fact, pouring boiling water down the sink can do more harm than good. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026 With Parsons, Green Bay’s defense got watered down. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2026 States that are already watering down or even eliminating vaccine requirements may align with the administration’s decision to neglect and hide the data, contributing to a growing gap between states on vaccine policy, further fragmenting and politicizing decisions that should be based on science. Jill Rosenthal, STAT, 14 Jan. 2026 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 28 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on water down

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