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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The judge said one district dilutes the votes of Blacks and Latinos.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Democrats have pointed to these facts as evidence that the map dilutes the voting power of minorities and may even be an intentional racial gerrymander.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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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.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Attackers can hide instructions inside that address and make Copilot execute them as soon as the page loads.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The commercial humorously cuts to everyday viewers — who might as well be analogs for us on the couch — enraptured by Spears' girl-next-door effervescence.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
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GoldZone, at this moment, cuts to commercial seconds before the final throw.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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But to isolate gold, galamsey workers typically use poisonous mercury, which pollutes drinking water and farmland and has been linked to serious illness and birth defects.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 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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Listeria infects approximately 1,250 people in the United States annually, by CDC estimate, and kills about 172.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Jan. 2026
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Listeria infects about 1,600 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waters down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waters%20down. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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