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
But it was watered down significantly since it was introduced.
—
Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 2026
Bain is one of the few blue chip talents in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is fairly watered down from a talent standpoint.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
And while there have been state-level efforts to increase housing supply, many of those initiatives have been riddled with loopholes and poison pills that allow local NIMBYs to distort or water down new housing development efforts.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
The rupture occurred near where the tunnel connects to the 15-foot-diameter penstock, sending a gully of water down both sides of the 1-mile pipeline leading to the powerhouse.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 2026
Bain is one of the few blue chip talents in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is fairly watered down from a talent standpoint.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
And while there have been state-level efforts to increase housing supply, many of those initiatives have been riddled with loopholes and poison pills that allow local NIMBYs to distort or water down new housing development efforts.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
The rupture occurred near where the tunnel connects to the 15-foot-diameter penstock, sending a gully of water down both sides of the 1-mile pipeline leading to the powerhouse.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
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Racist revelations aside, Von Dutch also suffered from its own success; those ubiquitous trucker hats diluted the brand and triggered market fatigue, while internal infighting between investors and executives stalled corporate growth.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Its still waiting to load up and head to Bangladesh.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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A little more than two weeks later, Nguyen and her family were loaded on a plane, landing eventually in Southern California.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
5 Mar. 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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Idaho lawmakers are trying to balance the budget this year after cutting over $450 million in revenue in 2025.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
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One piece of legislation that's drawn a lot of attention is a resolution that could have cut property taxes for homeowners by 75% or more through a state constitutional amendment.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The copper-mining industry has so polluted the town that its air stinks and its mountains are covered in black ash.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
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Prices are higher in the Golden State because of higher taxes and stricter requirements for cleaner, more expensive gas that pollutes less.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Robert Josh Grossman read through several pages of text messages between him and Kouri Richins, who is accused of poisoning her husband with a fatal dose of fentanyl.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
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Condors vanished from the state’s North Coast after the arrival of European settlers, who killed other animals with lead bullets and strychnine — poisoning the raptors that feed on carrion.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many people and animals remain asymptomatic when they’re infected.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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In a statement, Bis claimed medical staff were quarantining all detainees that may have come into contact with those infected.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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