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

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 Donalds has tried to defuse the issue by saying that SB 484, Florida’s watered down tech protection law, guarantees Floridians will never be hit with electricity rate hikes as a result of data centers. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 Ironically, the firmly conservative majority has watered down Roberts’s power. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Before then, a creek naturally allowed the flow of surface water down Television Road, court documents say. — Zuri Primos july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026 What feels like a quick rinse actually sends gallons of water down the drain. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for water down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down

Verb

But aside from the economic benefits, there have been concerns about the league diluting its talent pool by getting too big, too fast.

— Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
On international reach, Shergill says Indian humor does not need to be diluted to travel abroad.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of dilute

Verb

Once lake levels are no longer safe for the largest ships to pass, the Panama Canal Authority, the agency in charge of the canal, begins to restrict their maximum draft, meaning how deep into the water the ships sink when loaded.

— Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
The company detected the problem when the new hire’s workstation began loading malware.

— Michael Engle, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of load

Verb

North Carolina Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives cut all ties with one of their candidates running for the state legislature after her past social media posts about violence against Republicans came to light.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026
Krohn put in new sprinklers and fire-safety systems after his last renters moved out a few years ago, then cut a hole between the second and third floors, allowing more light and air to filter through what is now a unified owner’s duplex.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

Such plans are contrary to Indonesia’s promises to cut its use of coal, the most heavily polluting major fossil fuel and a significant source of planet-warming emissions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Environmental groups advocated for SB 954 over concerns that the CEQA exemption could allow heavily polluting facilities to bypass environmental review.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of pollute

Verb

Over the course of Exile, one of Loktev’s subjects is poisoned; another receives a five-year prison sentence in absentia.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
This is the league, remember, where a man (Harvey Updyke) confessed to poisoning the trees at Auburn on a radio show after Alabama lost to the Tigers, and a coach (Jackie Sherrill at Mississippi State) castrated a bull to motivate his squad.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of poison

Verb

Yolo County health officials discovered a dead bird infected with the disease near Woodland in June and reported the year’s first sample containing the virus in early July.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026
An infection from the bacteria can lead to death in young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems if they are infected.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of infect

Browse Nearby Words

watercrafts

water down

watered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of water down

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

empirical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes