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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Recent Examples of water down
The bill Newsom signed was in response to a law lawmakers hastily passed at the end of the 2024 legislative session, watering down the state’s 55-year-old landmark lemon law.
—
Calmatters, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025
Kennedy made a panoply of promises but, so far, has watered down or failed to achieved most of them.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Dec. 2025
The bill Newsom signed was in response to a law lawmakers hastily passed at the end of the 2024 legislative session, watering down the state’s 55-year-old landmark lemon law.
—Calmatters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Dec. 2025
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The European Union on Tuesday is expected to water down its effective ban on sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035, after lobbying efforts from Germany, Italy, and some automotive industry groups.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for water down
Calmatters, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025
Kennedy made a panoply of promises but, so far, has watered down or failed to achieved most of them.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Dec. 2025
The bill Newsom signed was in response to a law lawmakers hastily passed at the end of the 2024 legislative session, watering down the state’s 55-year-old landmark lemon law.
—Calmatters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Dec. 2025
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The European Union on Tuesday is expected to water down its effective ban on sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035, after lobbying efforts from Germany, Italy, and some automotive industry groups.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
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Bleach should never be used on a mattress, even if it's diluted.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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Without the requirement to protect majority-minority districts, Republicans would have far greater freedom to redraw congressional maps in ways that dilute the voting power of Black and other minority communities—areas that tend to favor Democrats.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Sanford jarred the ball loose as Zollers was loading up to pass, and the ball caromed to A&M’s Dalton Brooks virtually in stride behind Zollers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Nov. 2025
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The seller will load the grating for transport, but won't secure the load.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
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Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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An emergency order by the FAA on Thursday said airlines have to cut traffic by 4%, resulting in about 800 flight cancellations for Friday that increased to over 1,000 throughout the day, according to FlightAware.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Southwest Airlines cut about 120 flights Friday.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Despite the cesspits of conspiracy-think that pollute contemporary politics, the specific paranoia of Letts’s characters — bugs under the skin, brainwashing, nefarious doctors in government labs — feels less blazingly relevant than comparatively quaint.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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Chemical rockets put out huge plumes of polluting exhaust, and for a massive machine like the SpaceX Starship, with 33 first-stage engines, that can add up—especially with hundreds of launches planned.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to other accounts, some white residents believed Makandal and his allies were behind a plot to poison the water supply in all the houses in the city of Le Cap.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
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In a recent study, however, researchers at Yale found that interoception helped mice avoid poisoning themselves.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The National Turkey Federation estimated last year that up to 80% of turkey flocks were infected with AMPV, which complicates the situation with the surge in bird flu.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Center for Disease Control said if one person with the virus is present, up to nine or 10 people nearby will be infected if they are not protected.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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