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
Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
That bill was watered down, however, and eventually got shoehorned into the one that passed Friday.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
But it was watered down significantly since it was introduced.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 2026
Bain is one of the few blue chip talents in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is fairly watered down from a talent standpoint.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
The move is in stark contrast to New York City, where new mayor Zohran Mamdani watered down the Big Apple's definition of anti-Jewish hate.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
His administration was filled with crypto-friendly people, who watered down regulations, prompting all sorts of investors to buy into the craze.
—Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
That language has been watered down to a study on the economic impact of such boundaries.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Policies that would actually help people get watered down.
—State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 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
Midnight Mammoth last in a field of five that was watered down by the scratches of Pegasus World Cup winner Skippylongstocking and Grade 2 winner Westwood.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
That bill was watered down, however, and eventually got shoehorned into the one that passed Friday.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
But it was watered down significantly since it was introduced.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 2026
Bain is one of the few blue chip talents in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is fairly watered down from a talent standpoint.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
The move is in stark contrast to New York City, where new mayor Zohran Mamdani watered down the Big Apple's definition of anti-Jewish hate.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
His administration was filled with crypto-friendly people, who watered down regulations, prompting all sorts of investors to buy into the craze.
—Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
That language has been watered down to a study on the economic impact of such boundaries.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Policies that would actually help people get watered down.
—State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 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
-
Proponents claim that an unfiltered apple cider vinegar shot each morning taken straight or diluted with water, can help with digestion, bloating, blood sugar control, appetite suppression, and give you a metabolism boost.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Racist revelations aside, Von Dutch also suffered from its own success; those ubiquitous trucker hats diluted the brand and triggered market fatigue, while internal infighting between investors and executives stalled corporate growth.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Andrés Giménez was hit by a pitch, Acuña drew a four-pitch walk, and Maikel Garcia dropped down a bunt that was ruled a hit but also exposed a coverage gap as Jonathan Schoop charged and nobody covered first, leaving Venezuela with the bases loaded and no outs.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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Sprayer arms may also get trapped or stuck when too many dishes are loaded at once.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many people and animals remain asymptomatic when they’re infected.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In a new paper in Science, researchers describe a vaccine, given in four doses of nasal spray, that prevented mice from being infected by flu, COVID-19, SARS, and a bacterium that causes respiratory infections.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Idaho lawmakers are trying to balance the budget this year after cutting over $450 million in revenue in 2025.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
One piece of legislation that's drawn a lot of attention is a resolution that could have cut property taxes for homeowners by 75% or more through a state constitutional amendment.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watered-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watered-down. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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