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.
Stop watering down your message to avoid offending anyone. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 And bills to crack down on algorithmic pricing — when companies use personal data to set prices — were watered down to apply only to grocery stores. Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2025 The result is a smooth, more concentrated coffee that can be watered down or mixed with milk. Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025 On the other hand, as part of its action plan for EU accession, Ukraine has a detailed to-do list of further reforms, and while several of these are already underway, there are growing concerns that the government may try to water down the agenda. Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 2025.

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