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
That appeared to work out once again with his threats to China over rare earth exports later watered down online, Woods said.
—
Alex Harring,sarah Min, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Swift simply refuses to pass this baton, and her kung fu grip on pop’s crown handicapped this record and watered down her best qualities.
—Bianca Davino, Refinery29, 7 Oct. 2025
In one passage, the cameras follow water down a shower drain and into a cavernous subterranean universe; in another, Mike tumbles through a sky of stars.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
The mass-absorption of content watered down Prime Video’s overall pool of exclusivity as much of Freevee’s library was older content, which is the easiest to share.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for water down
Alex Harring,sarah Min, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Swift simply refuses to pass this baton, and her kung fu grip on pop’s crown handicapped this record and watered down her best qualities.
—Bianca Davino, Refinery29, 7 Oct. 2025
In one passage, the cameras follow water down a shower drain and into a cavernous subterranean universe; in another, Mike tumbles through a sky of stars.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
The mass-absorption of content watered down Prime Video’s overall pool of exclusivity as much of Freevee’s library was older content, which is the easiest to share.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
-
But in some facilities, a much cheaper liquid is used to dilute it or substitute for it.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
-
And while the study doesn't answer the question of whether an animal feeding operation is built in a certain community or whether a certain community settles around it, Goldstein says that doesn’t dilute the study’s take-home message.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The process involved manufacturing the alloy samples to precise specifications and then meticulously loading them into protective capsules.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Buntin said that if open enrollment begins and these subsidies are not approved and loaded into the enrollment systems, people are likely to see their premiums go up.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
-
As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Timberview had cut the lead to 32-22 but couldn’t stop the Jaguars’ rushing attack.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The Philippine Fault Zone, which cuts across the archipelago, is one of many active faults responsible for significant seismic events.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For instance, an injunction to stop a company from polluting a lake is premised on the idea that damage to a lake and the life in it is irreparable.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Gas from Tehran fuels nearly a third of Iraq's electricity generation, yet frequent and prolonged outages remain common, forcing residents to rely on costly, polluting private generators.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Antonio distracts him by accusing him in the town square of sending Justina off to El Alcazar and poisoning his son.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Oct. 2025
-
One of the jurors said deliberations were poisoned by a belief among some jurors that a member of the panel had been paid off by Weinstein or his lawyers.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Pigs can be infected by avian, human, and swine influenza strains simultaneously, which makes reassortment especially likely, though the process is not exclusive to pigs.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
-
At least 70 people — mostly farmworkers with close contact to birds or cows — have been infected.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share