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
Pruning, thinning fruit, and watering during dry spells are key to good fruit production.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
Deficiency symptoms may include thinning hair, skin rashes, or brittle nails.
—Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
On a different note, there could have been some challenges in your social life, such as thinning out friends or neighbors or taking on more responsibility in relation to a sibling.
—Kyle Thomas, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Overseeding or reseeding thinning grass is a regular part of annual lawn maintenance.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Clinical trials have shown especially promising results for people with androgenetic alopecia (the type of diffuse thinning that includes menopausal hair loss), as well as for autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata, postpartum shedding, and general hair thinning in men and women.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 25 Aug. 2025
The tennis player explains that the shampoo helps reset the scalp, the conditioner restores strength and softness, the oil supports thinning edges, and the supplement was created to be clean and safe enough for athletes like herself.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 25 Aug. 2025
This is important because hair loss can often be a sign of thyroid problems; both an underactive and an overactive thyroid can disrupt hair growth, resulting in hair thinning or shedding.
—Varsha Patel, Refinery29, 21 Aug. 2025
And here lies Democrats' biggest challenge to selling democratic socialism to voters—especially the party's scorned and thinning racial minority base.
—Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
Deficiency symptoms may include thinning hair, skin rashes, or brittle nails.
—Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
On a different note, there could have been some challenges in your social life, such as thinning out friends or neighbors or taking on more responsibility in relation to a sibling.
—Kyle Thomas, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Overseeding or reseeding thinning grass is a regular part of annual lawn maintenance.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Clinical trials have shown especially promising results for people with androgenetic alopecia (the type of diffuse thinning that includes menopausal hair loss), as well as for autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata, postpartum shedding, and general hair thinning in men and women.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 25 Aug. 2025
The tennis player explains that the shampoo helps reset the scalp, the conditioner restores strength and softness, the oil supports thinning edges, and the supplement was created to be clean and safe enough for athletes like herself.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 25 Aug. 2025
This is important because hair loss can often be a sign of thyroid problems; both an underactive and an overactive thyroid can disrupt hair growth, resulting in hair thinning or shedding.
—Varsha Patel, Refinery29, 21 Aug. 2025
And here lies Democrats' biggest challenge to selling democratic socialism to voters—especially the party's scorned and thinning racial minority base.
—Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thinning
Verb
-
Ongoing losses could necessitate equity raises, diluting existing shareholders and weighing on per-share returns.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, Democratic Hoosier voters have to go into a congressional district, so Indiana Republican leaders face the possibility of diluting their current Republican districts with more Democratic voters, Vaughn said.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Barcelona’s decision was not a sporting one but based on cutting wages.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
There’s people cutting sandwiches, putting the sandwiches right to the camera, squeezing the juices.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead of segregating different regions behind loading screens as with previous games, now your environment is a single seamless setting that feels more connected than ever.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
With Xavier Edwards and Agustin Ramirez on, Otto Lopez reached on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases with two out.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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America’s retreat from WHO deepens the damage by weakening global systems for monitoring outbreaks, reviewing evidence and maintaining databases such as the Global Burden of Disease.—
Stan Chu Ilo,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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That underscored rising concerns of weakening in the labor market, a trend that has shown up in anecdotal evidence for several months.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thinning. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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