Synonyms of watering down

watering down

verb

present participle of water down

as in diluting

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances

watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diluting
• loading
• cutting
• polluting
• thinning
• infecting
• poisoning
• weakening
• manipulating
• extending
• adulterating
• spoiling
• tampering (with)
• dirtying
• lacing
• contaminating
• sophisticating
• tainting
• degrading
• soiling
• corrupting
• fouling
• misrepresenting
• tempering
• defiling
• counterfeiting
• debasing
• qualifying
• falsifying
• cheapening
• befouling
• envenoming
• sullying
• attenuating
• moderating
• spiking
• faking
• doctoring
• fudging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthening
• enriching
• fertilizing
• reinforcing
• supplementing
• fortifying
• augmenting
• improving
• cleaning
• purifying
• filtering
• richening
• leaching
• clarifying
• refining
• purging
• flushing
• cleansing
• larding
• distilling
• enhancing
• pasteurizing
• decontaminating
• bettering
• condensing
• concentrating
• compacting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of watering down

But Reeves and Starmer faced criticism for some of their fiscal policies, such as increasing National Insurance — a kind of tax on employment — for businesses, and watering down welfare reforms to appease backbench lawmakers. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Asking for sportsbook revenue while simultaneously watering down the product and coddling rule-breakers with minor-league rehab is a terrible look. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026

These rules have already been subject to watering down proposals. — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

But the most basic reforms seem to require years of discussion and back-and-forth and watering down. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

Dress the salad right before serving to prevent the melon and cucumbers from watering down the vinaigrette. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 May 2026

But watering down safe Republican seats in a tough year for the incumbent party, could backfire, some have predicted. — Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026

Name, image and likeness money is pulling guys with borderline first-round grades back to school, which is watering down the top of each class. — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Trump blinked, pausing and watering down many of those tariffs in response to extreme market pressure. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026