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
In a move to bolster their thinning outfield, the Phillies acquired veteran Derek Hill from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in a marginal trade for two prospects.
—
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Regular harvesting and pruning will keep the plants from turning woody and thinning out.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Clover tends to pop up in areas where the lawn is thinning or brown and attracts pollinators like bees.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
For one, the event was sparsely attended, highlighting the dearth of foreign visitors and the thinning ranks of bankers, executives, and investors in the city.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 June 2026
As Wiley entered menopause and experienced the hot flashes, hair-thinning, and other physical symptoms that come with it, her straightening treatment—once a moment for pampering—became an exhausting chore.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026
Aspirin can help prevent blood clots by thinning the blood.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 25 May 2026
Weight gain, thinning hair, and other issues are things that happen with aging.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 23 May 2026
With Wharton’s recent surgery and Brooks’ injury history, the Panthers are likely to be cautious about thinning the roster at their respective positions.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Regular harvesting and pruning will keep the plants from turning woody and thinning out.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Clover tends to pop up in areas where the lawn is thinning or brown and attracts pollinators like bees.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
For one, the event was sparsely attended, highlighting the dearth of foreign visitors and the thinning ranks of bankers, executives, and investors in the city.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 June 2026
As Wiley entered menopause and experienced the hot flashes, hair-thinning, and other physical symptoms that come with it, her straightening treatment—once a moment for pampering—became an exhausting chore.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026
Aspirin can help prevent blood clots by thinning the blood.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 25 May 2026
Weight gain, thinning hair, and other issues are things that happen with aging.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 23 May 2026
With Wharton’s recent surgery and Brooks’ injury history, the Panthers are likely to be cautious about thinning the roster at their respective positions.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thinning
Verb
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The potential pitfall of that is diluting Walker’s effectiveness at his primary position.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The Supreme Court asked the lower court to look at its recent ruling in Louisiana, which weakened the Voting Rights Act — a law that previously placed sharp limits on states’ diluting the power of minority voters.—
Kaylah Jackson,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The lead stretched to 12 before Brunson and the Knicks rallied again, cutting the lead down to five halfway through the quarter.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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What else is going on AI is cutting hours of office work for workers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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To address this workflow conundrum, Maono has developed the P Series, which directly addresses this shift towards hybrid workflows and connectivity, where equipment needs to be streamlined for multi-device creation without loading on the technical complexity.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Of course, Macy is not actually spending late nights at the distillery twisting knobs and loading the wash into fermenters.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Yet the extremist group has mobilized its members and media outlets to ramp up criticism of the agreement, heaping pressure on Iranian negotiators who have been attempting to extract concessions from a US administration intent on weakening – and possibly ending – the Islamic Republic.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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After reaching record levels in the 1990s and 2000s, deforestation declined until the 2019-2022 term of then President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government was widely criticized for weakening environmental protections.—
Gabriela Sa Pessoa,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thinning. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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