WATER (DOWN) Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

water down

verb

Definition of water down

as in to dilute

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of water down Davis said the operators of Oroville have asked River Partners whether the restoration at Dos Rios Norte could allow the dam to send more water down the Feather. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Without the winds, warm water in the east begins to flow back and eventually occupies much of the equatorial waters down to about 300 meters from the coast of South America to the middle of the Pacific. — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026 In August, media reported that Slovenia forced the EU to water down a statement condemning the Israeli settlements, drawing criticism at home and praise from Israeli officials. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 But the administration has also been working to water down historic-preservation rules governing federal projects just as the arch has become subject to that process. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for water down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down

Verb

That’s not unusual — industries typically ask for a seat at the table, the better to steer discussions to their benefit and dilute any resulting rules.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Some French youths, like Lise, are concerned that all the talk about politics or references to the past take away from the present, and dilute the focus of student demands.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilute

Verb

Later in the inning, Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia walked in the tying run (credited to starter Tyler Glasnow for having initially loaded the bases).

— Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Storyteller experiments with some next-generation convertible furniture designs to make the new van even more versatile and better equipped for loading up gear.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of load

Verb

Sullivan denied that the law would cut Medicaid for Alaskans, saying the Affordable Care Act had a greater impact and raised insurance premiums in the state drastically.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
The new version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been cut from a five-hour show performed across two parts to a single three-hour performance as it is performed on Broadway.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

In a world riven by democratic backsliding and polluted with AI slop, there’s something seductive about the idea of retreating to a wild, unnavigable place where no one can follow you—because you’ll be submerged up to your eyeballs.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Throwing a piece of garbage out of the window affects every Texan, polluting water and soil and affecting wildlife.

— Katie Standing, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of pollute

Verb

Did something happen in her youth that might inform why Cathy, after marrying Adam, goes on to shoot him, leave their newborns, join a brothel, slowly poison the madam, and then take her job?

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Plus, some samples of Martian soil contain high levels of perchlorates, toxic chemical compounds, also found in rocket fuel, that could potentially poison the planet’s supplies of water and food.

— Brian Gallagher, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of poison

Verb

These viruses infect diverse deep-sea prokaryotes that drive vital cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and metals.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Eventually, the capability could enable computer worms, which propagate without requiring human interaction and are capable of infecting unfamiliar IoT devices.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of infect

Browse Nearby Words

watercrafts

water down

watered

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“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of water down

verb

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