as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
thinned the cream with milk but didn't tell anyone
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Recent Examples of thinning
Under the thinning clouds, the Gulf was like a fogged mirror.
—
Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
That can show up as thinning, more shedding than usual, breakage, or a duller texture.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 14 May 2026
Symptoms may include irregular periods, acne, excess facial or body hair, thinning hair, weight changes and infertility, according to the WHO and Cleveland Clinic.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
The imbalance can disrupt ovulation and menstrual cycles, causing irregular periods, infertility, acne, excess facial or body hair, weight gain and thinning hair.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Avoid Vigorous Pruning Be careful not to over-prune when thinning out your dogwood tree.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 11 May 2026
There was a concentration of round droplets near the front door, then a thinning trail toward her driveway.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Restoration crews are expected to begin thinning overgrown vegetation and restoring native trees ahead of wildfire season this spring and summer.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Focus on thinning branches, removing dead wood, and shaping the tree to allow more light and air inside.
—Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 May 2026
Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
That can show up as thinning, more shedding than usual, breakage, or a duller texture.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 14 May 2026
Symptoms may include irregular periods, acne, excess facial or body hair, thinning hair, weight changes and infertility, according to the WHO and Cleveland Clinic.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
The imbalance can disrupt ovulation and menstrual cycles, causing irregular periods, infertility, acne, excess facial or body hair, weight gain and thinning hair.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Avoid Vigorous Pruning Be careful not to over-prune when thinning out your dogwood tree.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 11 May 2026
There was a concentration of round droplets near the front door, then a thinning trail toward her driveway.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Restoration crews are expected to begin thinning overgrown vegetation and restoring native trees ahead of wildfire season this spring and summer.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Focus on thinning branches, removing dead wood, and shaping the tree to allow more light and air inside.
—Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thinning
Verb
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Founders have praised the tool for its ability to scale personalized service, such as digital styling conversations, without diluting the brand identity.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
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The ruling stems from a long-running redistricting dispute over Alabama’s congressional map, which lower courts had previously found likely violated voting rights protections by diluting black voting strength.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
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The bridge demonstrates a new, lighter approach to low-carbon infrastructure, cutting waste and CO₂ by depositing concrete only where needed.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The pads typically have 15 vans loading up packages every 20 minutes, though the number more than doubles around the holiday season.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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That includes moving baggage, loading cargo and assisting with equipment.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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No ‘victory image’ for Tehran Ruhe similarly argued that Israel wants to avoid any agreement that restores legitimacy to the Iranian regime without fundamentally weakening it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
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Forecasters say geomagnetic activity is gradually weakening, but lingering disturbances in Earth's magnetic field could still spark visible displays overnight, particularly in northern regions.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thinning. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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