as in dilutes
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 waters down
Tech companies are poised for a big win if Europe waters down its digital regulations overhaul and makes compliance voluntary.
—
Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The most recent version of the deal waters down a landmark 2021 agreement that set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The most recent version of the deal waters down a landmark 2021 agreement that set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waters down
Verb
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Emma Basch, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, agrees, expressing concern that tying self-care to allowance dilutes the concept and does not help kids internalize that caring for themselves is not a job they will ever be paid for, but a way of showing themselves respect and care.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
7 Feb. 2026
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The judge said one district dilutes the votes of Blacks and Latinos.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Texas loads the bags without a ball reaching the outfield thanks to two infield singles and a Syracuse error.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Feb. 2026
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And the carne asada fries loads shredded cheese and carne asada onto a bed of french fries, topped with two salsas, sour cream, cilantro and onions.—
Bee staff
February 6,
Sacbee.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An entire film of buzzy, chaotic music suddenly cuts away so that these sounds can ring out clearly across the cosmos.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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Off-site construction reliably cuts construction timelines by 10% to 30%, according to an analysis by the Terner Center.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Climate change, industrial pollution, inadequate sanitation that pollutes drinking water sources with human waste — these are all factors in the water crisis.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
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For example, forum participants said a person could sue a company or entity that pollutes a river because the river has the right to be pollution-free.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Civic life thins out because exhaustion replaces engagement.—
Christopher Bellingham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Just an hour later, the traffic thins and the road dissolves into the Agafay Desert.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Measles is a highly contagious, serious airborne disease caused by a virus that infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
6 Feb. 2026
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Lung, stomach and cervical cancers accounted for nearly half of the cases that were linked to modifiable risks, with many linked to viruses and bacteria like the human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori (a common bacterium that infects the stomach lining).—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waters down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waters%20down. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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