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
Calmatters, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
This is proof that a novel doesn’t need to be watered down in its style or ideas in order to hold a reader’s attention.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Critics of 243 argued it was watered down significantly after industry input.
—Kate Wolffe
october 13, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
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
From Kuruvilla’s perspective, the industry doesn’t have a method of holding everyone accountable if the due diligence legislation is watered down significantly enough; a death-by-omnibus could undermine supply chain accountability across the value chain at large.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 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
That’s why the game feels watered down now.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 24 Sep. 2025
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
The measure has since been watered down and now requires children between the ages of 8 to 16, starting in 2027, to pass a five-step test to be considered properly restrained by a seat belt.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
This is proof that a novel doesn’t need to be watered down in its style or ideas in order to hold a reader’s attention.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Critics of 243 argued it was watered down significantly after industry input.
—Kate Wolffe
october 13, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
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
From Kuruvilla’s perspective, the industry doesn’t have a method of holding everyone accountable if the due diligence legislation is watered down significantly enough; a death-by-omnibus could undermine supply chain accountability across the value chain at large.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 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
That’s why the game feels watered down now.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 24 Sep. 2025
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 Department of Justice sued Texas in 2021, alleging its maps diluted minority voting power, but the case ended before any ruling.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Bleach should never be used on a mattress, even if it's diluted.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
They were loaded onto buses and driven hours away to an ICE Detention Center.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Mounted externally on the KSOT, the ‘Piranha’ torpedo was loaded into the starboard-side launch tube.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
Southwest Airlines cut about 120 flights Friday.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Watered-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watered-down. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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