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 Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Then the human welder has to finish the areas where the robot can’t reach, then pull it out and start loading new parts.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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That separation is now weakening.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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In addition to these external influences, Dini emphasized that long-term domestic instability has left Somalia’s coastline vulnerable, weakening local institutions and lowering the risks for pirate networks.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thinning. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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