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
Gilt markets came under pressure last year when Starmer's finance minister Rachel Reeves watered down her initial plans to cut welfare spending last year, following a revolt from backbench MPs. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Industry opposition already watered down one anti-smuggling bill, Bloomberg noted, and Huang recently snubbed a congressional invitation to testify on the problem. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 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
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
  • Existing stakeholders had to be mollified so that F1’s prize fund could grow to accommodate a new team rather than be diluted.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to family photos and movie props, Abdy may have boxed up the remnants of a workplace tradition diluted by acquisitions and corporate unions over the past three decades.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • September was the first month that Iran loaded no crude onto tankers since maritime data tracking service Kpler began monitoring Iranian exports in 2013.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
  • After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, the pitcher letting out a yell.
    — Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Wild game — including deer, elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep — infected with EHD usually spike a fever within seven days of being bitten.
    — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Her heart cells had been infected with parvovirus B19, the virus that more commonly causes Fifth Disease.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Sullivan denied that the law would cut Medicaid for Alaskans, saying the Affordable Care Act had a greater impact and raised insurance premiums in the state drastically.
    — Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The new version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been cut from a five-hour show performed across two parts to a single three-hour performance as it is performed on Broadway.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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