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
Some Republicans, however, have expressed caution about watering down districts heading into an election cycle that is historically bad for the party in the White House.
—
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
On Wednesday, The Times reported that Bass was directly involved in watering down the city’s after-action report on the fire, citing unnamed sources.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
States that are already watering down or even eliminating vaccine requirements may align with the administration’s decision to neglect and hide the data, contributing to a growing gap between states on vaccine policy, further fragmenting and politicizing decisions that should be based on science.
—Jill Rosenthal, STAT, 14 Jan. 2026
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
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
On Wednesday, The Times reported that Bass was directly involved in watering down the city’s after-action report on the fire, citing unnamed sources.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
States that are already watering down or even eliminating vaccine requirements may align with the administration’s decision to neglect and hide the data, contributing to a growing gap between states on vaccine policy, further fragmenting and politicizing decisions that should be based on science.
—Jill Rosenthal, STAT, 14 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watering down
Verb
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However, hyponatremia, a condition that results from drinking too much water and effectively diluting the sodium content of your blood, can actually be far more dangerous.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
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The challenge lies in tailoring your tone without diluting the mission or fragmenting the brand.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Earlier, officers were seen loading several people into a vehicle along the same stretch of street.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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On Wednesday, a jury in California determined that Meta and YouTube were responsible for loading their social media platforms with addictive features that harmed the mental health of a minor.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Huston’s come a long way from cutting hair near 87th Street and Wornall Road.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The only thing standing in the way of progress is the powerful plastics and fossil fuel lobbyists — hired by the same companies responsible for polluting our planet and bodies with plastic and its toxic chemicals.—
Shanna Swan,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
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This 2-mile stretch of embankment once channeled 43,000 cars across the city daily, polluting the air and assailing landmarks such as the Louvre and the Pont Neuf with noise and vibration.—
Marie Patino,
Bloomberg,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For someone dealing with thinning hair and navigating long workdays, the staying power described here is a practical advantage worth noting.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
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His livestock and the drought were a double whammy on the fragile vegetation, thinning it out to untenable levels.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To pursue that work, Sassetti’s NIH grant paid for collecting blood samples from people in Lima, Peru — who carry a unique immune gene — and then infecting their cells with TB in the lab.—
Megan Molteni,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
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Aisuru and Kimwolf work by first infecting vulnerable online devices, enslaving them into a network of hijacked computers.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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After Kouri Richins was charged with murder for fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, a friend of the Utah mother of three had a difficult time reconciling that.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watering down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20down. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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