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
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
Broiling the vegetables keeps them from watering down the casserole.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 18 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
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
Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Broiling the vegetables keeps them from watering down the casserole.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 18 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
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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Founders have praised the tool for its ability to scale personalized service, such as digital styling conversations, without diluting the brand identity.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
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The ruling stems from a long-running redistricting dispute over Alabama’s congressional map, which lower courts had previously found likely violated voting rights protections by diluting black voting strength.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The pads typically have 15 vans loading up packages every 20 minutes, though the number more than doubles around the holiday season.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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That includes moving baggage, loading cargo and assisting with equipment.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
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The bridge demonstrates a new, lighter approach to low-carbon infrastructure, cutting waste and CO₂ by depositing concrete only where needed.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Engineers and safety experts are solving problems in a new technology that gets us off expensive and polluting fossil fuels.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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Sunil Bector, an attorney with the Sierra Club, said that heavily polluting facilities will reap overlapping benefits from the assault on the Clean Air Act.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Under the thinning clouds, the Gulf was like a fogged mirror.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
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That can show up as thinning, more shedding than usual, breakage, or a duller texture.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Over the past two years, the epidemic has left a devastating trail, infecting more than 220,000 individuals, and claiming the lives of over 4,000 people in 19 countries across the continent.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Hantavirus is typically spread from rodents to people, but the particular strain that’s infecting those on the cruise, according to the WHO — the Andes strain — is the only kind that can also be transmitted from person to person.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Kouri Richins, a Utah woman convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, is set to be sentenced for murder on Wednesday.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
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One of the charges against Richins is connected to that incident after prosecutors accused her of poisoning his sandwich in an attempt to kill him.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watering down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20down. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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