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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The goal of irrigating is to wet roots, so water long enough to get water down to the root zone — with drip irrigation that could take an hour or two.
—
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
But watering down safe Republican seats in a tough year for the incumbent party, could backfire, some have predicted.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
As he gets pummeled with demands to water down his proposals over the course of this year, let’s hope McGrath holds the line.
—Parmy Olson, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
As he gets pummeled with demands to water down his proposals over the course of this year, let’s hope McGrath holds the line.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
But watering down safe Republican seats in a tough year for the incumbent party, could backfire, some have predicted.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
As he gets pummeled with demands to water down his proposals over the course of this year, let’s hope McGrath holds the line.
—Parmy Olson, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
As he gets pummeled with demands to water down his proposals over the course of this year, let’s hope McGrath holds the line.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
-
By launching a version of the Royal Oak to the general public and transforming it into a playful, versatile pop culture object, the brand is taking a risky step toward diluting its own equity.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Cynical congressional map dilutes Black voting power to target a kingmaker.—
Kathleen Parker,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Bubic walked second baseman Chase Meidroth, surrendered a single to third baseman Miguel Vargas and walked Murakami to load the bases with one out in the third inning.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
Leo Wilderman was walked intentionally to load the bases, bringing up Brown.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The Tempo cut it to three midway through the fourth while Brittany Sykes (27 points, seven assists) sparked Toronto’s rally.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
-
Kreutzer cuts clunkily and repeatedly between the ongoing crises in two households, presumably implying that the men in these women’s lives are all tarred with the same patriarchal brush.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
See, scientists know human drugs pollute aquatic environments – past studies have shown even anti-anxiety drugs can change how fish act.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
12 May 2026
-
Toilet paper, a product that is used for a few seconds before being disposed of forever, is typically made with trees, energy-intensive manufacturing processes and chemicals that can pollute the environment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The latter activity gives them some solid ground to plant their hooves on when George abruptly turns up dead one morning, poisoned by an unknown suspect.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
-
One of us even faced an assassination plot in Canada and concluded he was poisoned in Russia for defending Iranian human rights lawyers and Russian dissidents.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Of the 25 people who received blood serum testing, one asymptomatic veterinary professional showed evidence of a H5N1 infection after exposure to a cat infected with the disease.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
For example, our research suggests that investors would discount a $1 million bond issued by a rural county by nearly $14,000 if that county’s bats have become infected by white-nose syndrome.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
