as in adulterated
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as in diluted
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 watered-down
Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
On the big screen, marijuana has been watered down to the point of near invisibility.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
The bill was watered down by the end of session.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
The board voted to move forward with a study on Tuesday, April 14 after the original motion by First District Supervisor Hilda Solis was watered down and amended.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
The word has violent roots — but over time, linguists and etymologists say, its meaning has sometimes been watered down to simply be a playful type of humor.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
These rules, vehemently opposed by the natural gas industry, already watered down by the district to near-toothlessness, were ultimately rejected by the board — apparently overwhelmed by the flood of fake opposition to even the mildest effort to limit pollution from gas-burning appliances.
—Mary Nichols, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Hoping to avoid a veto, Bahrain significantly watered down its proposal to authorize defensive — but not offensive — action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait.
—Didi Tang, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
Hoping to avoid a veto, Bahrain significantly watered down its proposal to authorize defensive — but not offensive — action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
In the decades since, silencing of even that watered-down (if in some ways more accurate) term has been linked to fossil fuel companies suppressing science to boost profits.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
In 2023, the governor attempted to significantly increase the number of charter schools that could open in the city, though the reforms were watered down during negotiations with the state legislature.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
On the big screen, marijuana has been watered down to the point of near invisibility.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
The bill was watered down by the end of session.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
The board voted to move forward with a study on Tuesday, April 14 after the original motion by First District Supervisor Hilda Solis was watered down and amended.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
The word has violent roots — but over time, linguists and etymologists say, its meaning has sometimes been watered down to simply be a playful type of humor.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
These rules, vehemently opposed by the natural gas industry, already watered down by the district to near-toothlessness, were ultimately rejected by the board — apparently overwhelmed by the flood of fake opposition to even the mildest effort to limit pollution from gas-burning appliances.
—Mary Nichols, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Hoping to avoid a veto, Bahrain significantly watered down its proposal to authorize defensive — but not offensive — action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait.
—Didi Tang, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
Hoping to avoid a veto, Bahrain significantly watered down its proposal to authorize defensive — but not offensive — action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watered-down
Adjective
-
The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
-
And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Verb
-
The key is to make sure they are diluted as well so your blinds are not accidentally damaged.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
The publicity that manufactuers hope to get from MWC is going to be diluted.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Snell loaded the bases three batters into the game and gave up a run in the first inning.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
-
The analytics group says that most Middle East cargoes loaded before the war have now been discharged, meaning the inventory drawdown will accelerate and local refining will slow.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The Americans in Nebraska were among around 150 cruise passengers who spent weeks aboard the MV Hondius, a ship hit with a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has infected at least 11 people, including three who died, according to the World Health Organization.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
15 May 2026
-
In previous outbreaks, the virus has killed between 25-90% of those infected.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
15 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Watered-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watered-down. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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