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
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Recent Examples of water down
Her looks were watered down and her ratios have proven unlovely.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Politically, this strategy of watering down her own initiatives to avoid alienating interest groups might have worked, if not for the fires.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Begin by pouring approximately 2 cups of hot boiling hot or boiling water down the sink drain.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 30 May 2026
The concierge idea is being watered down in favor of dealerships, perhaps shared with Hyundai and Kia.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Politically, this strategy of watering down her own initiatives to avoid alienating interest groups might have worked, if not for the fires.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Begin by pouring approximately 2 cups of hot boiling hot or boiling water down the sink drain.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 30 May 2026
The concierge idea is being watered down in favor of dealerships, perhaps shared with Hyundai and Kia.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
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The talent on display will be breathtaking and the matches should be thrilling, though a bloated group stage featuring 72 matches could dilute some of the excitement early in the tournament.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
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And given the vast, existing economic heft of this year’s hosts — the US, Canada, and Mexico together represent about 30% of global GDP — any effect will be diluted further.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Pages followed with a single and Keller loaded the bases by hitting Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy with two outs.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
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The only way real barriers to non-factory service could be required to work on a ladder-frame gas-engine truck would be if the automaker intentionally loaded it with proprietary nonsense.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The moment came in the 73rd minute with a goal from Mauricio to cut the US advantage to 3-1.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Simpson robbed Adell of a homer in the eighth to keep the Rays within two, and Aranda cut it to 4-3 with a two-out single off Farris before Zeferjahn finished.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Nothing in art about their being polluting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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Unless the energy powering data centers comes from clean energy sources, such as solar, wind or geothermal, generating that electricity also pollutes the air.—
Ed Maibach,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Some believe that’s by design, that the show has been poisoned on purpose.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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By Chris Boyette, CNN A California judge dismissed charges against a dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband with liquid drain cleaner, ruling that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office had withheld evidence from the grand jury that indicted her.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Up to 13,000 grapevine plants potentially infected by the bacteria have been sold across a total of 24 Northern and Central California counties, the CDFA said.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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The detection of New World screwworm in cattle does not pose a risk to beef consumers, and humans are unlikely to become infected by the parasite themselves, experts told ABC News.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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