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
Most people are treated with blood-thinning medications, known as anticoagulants, which prevent existing clots from expanding and reduce the risk of new clots forming, says Samuel Gurevich, MD, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida.
—
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Feb. 2026
In contrast, hair loss tends to show up in specific patterns — such as thinning near the temples, a widening hairline, or bald areas near the crown — and happen more gradually.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Factors such as daily stress, hormones, and the relentless pace of modern life contribute to weaker hair strands, dormant hair follicles, and thinning hair.
—Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Large institutional outflows are mounting as investors brace for bitcoin to go lower, thinning liquidity for the token, according to a recent analyst note from Deutsche Bank.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
However, its rapid growth may necessitate thinning it out from time to time in an ornamental pond environment.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
Instead of total elimination, Marrone advocated thinning the mule deer population, but leaving some to eat away at fire fuels and serve as a natural fire protection.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
The same tools that sharpen expertise in some hands can, in others, replace it entirely, leaving organizations with impressive outputs short term but a thinning core of human judgment.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Wheeler was slight but handsome, with thinning blond hair fading to gray, a year-round tan, and a pair of penetrating, electric-blue eyes.
—Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Feb. 2026
In contrast, hair loss tends to show up in specific patterns — such as thinning near the temples, a widening hairline, or bald areas near the crown — and happen more gradually.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Factors such as daily stress, hormones, and the relentless pace of modern life contribute to weaker hair strands, dormant hair follicles, and thinning hair.
—Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Large institutional outflows are mounting as investors brace for bitcoin to go lower, thinning liquidity for the token, according to a recent analyst note from Deutsche Bank.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
However, its rapid growth may necessitate thinning it out from time to time in an ornamental pond environment.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
Instead of total elimination, Marrone advocated thinning the mule deer population, but leaving some to eat away at fire fuels and serve as a natural fire protection.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
The same tools that sharpen expertise in some hands can, in others, replace it entirely, leaving organizations with impressive outputs short term but a thinning core of human judgment.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Wheeler was slight but handsome, with thinning blond hair fading to gray, a year-round tan, and a pair of penetrating, electric-blue eyes.
—Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thinning
Verb
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Capturing and feeding this CO₂ to microbes sidesteps the significant energy penalty of diluting it with air while also removing pollutants.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, garlic oil is produced by distilling raw garlic and diluting it in vegetable oil.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With equal panache, and without cutting away, the narrative focus is handed like a baton in a relay race to the arriving Mayor Dumont (Josse De Pauw) and his daughter and press attaché Marie (Violet Braeckman).—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Legislature should focus on lowering costs by delivering permanent property tax relief, restraining state and local spending, cutting red tape that drives up housing and energy costs, and expanding reliable energy production to keep utilities affordable.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That’s hoovering up free cash flows and loading the companies with depreciating assets, radically altering many of the characteristics that have helped fuel the firms’ rise over the past decade.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
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That’s hoovering up free cash flows and loading the companies with depreciating assets, radically altering many of the characteristics that have helped fuel the firms’ rise over the past decade.—
Jeran Wittenstein,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unbalanced Or Leaning Tree A weakening root system or poor pruning practices can cause a tree to lean to one side.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
My opponent, Tim O’Hare, has led with ideology and performative politics, reducing transparency, weakening public participation, and creating financial instability through deficit-style budgeting and reserve spending.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thinning. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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