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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Now, five courts — whose case loads range from several hundred to over 40,000 — have just one permanent judge.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2026
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Frahm loads the bases walking Powell but strikes out Kowalewski.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Alder said that cuts to academic research will have drastic consequences in the country’s future.—
Sara Bedigian,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
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For retirees, this matters because leverage cuts both ways.—
Bruce Helmer,
Twin Cities,
28 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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Cut overgrown stems back to a branch or stem rather than shearing the shrub, which thins out the interior.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
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Civic life thins out because exhaustion replaces engagement.—
Christopher Bellingham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For me, boredom is a destabilizing state that infects the very experiences that make life meaningful.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
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Listeria infects about 1,600 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waters down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waters%20down. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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