watered-down 1 of 2

watered down

2 of 2

verb

past tense of water down

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 watered-down
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
Bills similar to several of the ones signed this year failed to pass the Legislature or were watered down last year. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Reality says Miami will be forced to play its seventh, if not eighth offensive lineman for at least five games in 2026 because a Dolphins offensive line is annually watered down by injuries. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026 Newspaper op-eds from big names have long been ghostwritten by junior staffers or outside PR firms — no disclosure necessary, and often watered down and hyper-optimized to be as palatable as possible. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 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 One All-Star phenomenon in the NBA’s Dunk Contest unarguably has been watered down due to the fact that simply the game’s stars don’t participate. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 Because a lot of the wonderful stuff that was passed during that '63, '64 year in Congress, including the Civil Rights bill, they're being watered down for various reasons. — Lynne Sullivan, The Providence Journal, 2 July 2026 Critics argue the language was watered down during negotiations and intense lobbying from the platforms, reducing its impact on the biggest players. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watered-down
Adjective
  • Navarro, who pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in August, was sentenced Friday in Manhattan by federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil for being part of a conspiracy to distribute and administer adulterated and misbranded drugs for racehorses.
    — Stephen Edelson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2021
Verb
  • The decision blessed the Florida Legislature’s mid-decade redistricting, which diluted a majority Black district in South Florida expected to be represented come January by Democrat Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, who is white.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Unfortunately, Volvo also fitted steering that feels like it has been diluted.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Moore spent several minutes on the field before being loaded onto a cart and taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center by ambulance.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Trader Joe’s is also loaded up with all things miniature this year.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The show starts in the year 1985, when Henki Hauge Karlsen, a 28-year-old gay bartender, is fired after disclosing that he is infected with HIV.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Three Florida counties have declared states of emergency as a growing outbreak of dengue has infected hundreds across the state this year.
    — Alex DeLuca, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • For decades, the European Union has led the world in implementing policies designed to cut emissions, creating the world’s most important price on carbon and crafting the rules of the road for a wide range of regulatory efforts.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Staff cut raw chicken and then proceeded to cut lamb without washing, rinsing and sanitizing cutting boards and prep tables.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Watered-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watered-down. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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