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
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
The resolution was significantly watered down in the face of opposition from China and Russia about allowing force.
—CBS News, 2 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
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
The resolution was significantly watered down in the face of opposition from China and Russia about allowing force.
—CBS News, 2 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
-
It could then be repacked in overpacks, removed from the site by plane, train or ship and diluted into fuel for nuclear power plants.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Onstage, that emotional clarity feels diluted.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Freddy Fermin’s fly ball to left field drove in Bogaerts.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Tickets for Saturday will not be valid for the makeup doubleheader, but fans who already purchased tickets will receive a digital voucher loaded into their My Mets Tickets account, and will be accessible Sunday morning.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As of April 13, a total of 34 people in 13 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella saintpaul.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, about half of children with the disease are infected during birth, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said, while others caught it from family members.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, Bass has proposed cutting entirely the Animal Services Department’s annual budget for food, which was $200,000 last year, and also slashing the medical supplies budget to $49,000, from $388,000 last year.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
But now that the post-pandemic boom has well and truly gone bust, just showing up with a great looking timepiece isn’t going to cut it.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watered-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watered-down. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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