as in dilutes
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 thins
When that experience fades, meaning thins out.
—
Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
Cut overgrown stems back to a branch or stem rather than shearing the shrub, which thins out the interior.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Civic life thins out because exhaustion replaces engagement.
—Christopher Bellingham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Just an hour later, the traffic thins and the road dissolves into the Agafay Desert.
—Fergus Scholes, TheWeek, 30 Jan. 2026
Meetings stay calm, but the substance thins.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Chloe thins only once, before seedlings are growing into each other, sometime between the first and third set of true leaves.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Aim for a balanced appearance that thins out crowded canopy areas and allows light to reach the inner branches.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Representation thins and drifts toward the extremes, and public confidence in Congress as an accountable institution erodes along with it.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
Cut overgrown stems back to a branch or stem rather than shearing the shrub, which thins out the interior.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Civic life thins out because exhaustion replaces engagement.
—Christopher Bellingham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Just an hour later, the traffic thins and the road dissolves into the Agafay Desert.
—Fergus Scholes, TheWeek, 30 Jan. 2026
Meetings stay calm, but the substance thins.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Chloe thins only once, before seedlings are growing into each other, sometime between the first and third set of true leaves.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Aim for a balanced appearance that thins out crowded canopy areas and allows light to reach the inner branches.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Representation thins and drifts toward the extremes, and public confidence in Congress as an accountable institution erodes along with it.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thins
Verb
-
While most vegetables contain 80 to 90 percent water, overwatering adds too much moisture and dilutes the flavor of the harvest.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Emma Basch, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, agrees, expressing concern that tying self-care to allowance dilutes the concept and does not help kids internalize that caring for themselves is not a job they will ever be paid for, but a way of showing themselves respect and care.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While trees — oak, birch, maple — dominate early spring, grass pollen often overlaps in late spring from May to June, leading to higher, more intense allergy loads for sufferers.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Now, five courts — whose case loads range from several hundred to over 40,000 — have just one permanent judge.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And if the economy deteriorates and the labor market materially weakens at the same time?—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Without this supply from the updraft, the storm weakens and dissipates.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The footage inside the silicone throat was shot weeks prior; when the camera cuts to Howard, production used scopes of different lengths to indicate how far the tube may have gone down his throat.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Usually when the economy is unsteady and the job market is weakening, the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates to give things a boost.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mumps infects the salivary glands below the ears.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
-
For me, boredom is a destabilizing state that infects the very experiences that make life meaningful.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The prices in California are higher than in other states because of higher taxes and stricter requirements for cleaner, more expensive gas that pollutes less.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Climate change, industrial pollution, inadequate sanitation that pollutes drinking water sources with human waste — these are all factors in the water crisis.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thins. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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