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
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Recent Examples of watering down
Proxies and acolytes are deployed to the networks to underscore the strength of the president’s stance while subtly watering down threats and reassuring investors.
—
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
Stop watering down your message to avoid offending anyone.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
Stop watering down your message to avoid offending anyone.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watering down
Verb
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Relying on that representation, Trinity Broadcasting increased McGraw’s stake in Merit Street, via his production banner Peteski, to 70 percent while diluting its own stake to 30 percent.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
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Thune took the step last month of allowing Trump officials to be approved in batches, essentially diluting the power of senators in the minority party to register their complaints.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Another video shared the same day showed multiple men in tactical vests loading into a vehicle with a similar Mexican flag splayed across the hood.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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Cupshe Eyelet Long-sleeve Crochet Blouse The best way to sidestep wrinkles (in my opinion) is by loading up my suitcase with patterns and textures—much like this crocheted blouse with floral detailing from Amazon.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Walz drew a surge of media attention and prompted popular X posts on the campaign trail for cutting a rootsy profile like her father.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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In cutting those moments, Baxter used the score to track the temperature of his edit, especially as the second chapter begins.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This process aims to prevent gas from polluting the air.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
30 Oct. 2025
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In mineral-rich regions of Africa and South America, Chinese firms have unleashed 21st century resource colonialism, exploiting workers and polluting the environment.—
Young Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Green tea compounds may interact with blood-thinning medications to raise the risk of bleeding.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
3 Nov. 2025
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The majority of interested clients are eligible candidates for PRP and PRF; however, those with blood disorders, autoimmune conditions, infections or taking blood-thinning medication should consult with their aesthetic provider first.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Measles outbreaks are infecting more people this year than in any year since the early 1990s and have already killed three.—
Suhail Bhat,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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The researchers had shown in 2023 that parasitic scraps of DNA could spread within bacterial populations by hitching rides on the tails of infecting viruses.—
Elie Dolgin,
IEEE Spectrum,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Leawood police fielded nearly 400 food-poisoning complaints and conducted about 130 interviews, a volume that briefly crashed the department’s records system, according to the Johnson County Post, KSHB 41 and KCTV5.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Watering down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20down. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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