as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of water down
By conservative estimates, one air conditioner sends five gallons of atmospheric water down the drain daily.
—
Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
In fact, pouring boiling water down the sink can do more harm than good.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
With Parsons, Green Bay’s defense got watered down.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 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
See All Example Sentences for water down
Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
In fact, pouring boiling water down the sink can do more harm than good.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
With Parsons, Green Bay’s defense got watered down.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 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
See All Example Sentences for water down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
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Give your plant orchid food or a balanced fertilizer diluted to half strength.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
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The poetry of Brontë’s language is likewise diluted.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before long, it was loaded up with 100 whistles and placed on the front counter.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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And the two front-runners are loading up.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The spoon even comes with measuring lines for a teaspoon and tablespoon, saving you from having to dirty another utensil.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
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The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the men's singles final in figure skating, the NBC telecast just cut to a shot of American Max Naumov, who was juggling a soccer ball.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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Catherine’s brother Hindley, a vicious bully whose abuse is part of what drives Cathy and Heathcliff so closely together, is cut entirely, his role combined with Catherine’s father.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For that reason, many local opponents argue that if compressor stations are going to be expanded, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection should force Iroquois to utilize less-polluting technologies such as all-electric motors.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
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View gallery - 4 images Electric passenger ferries offer a promising alternative to polluting fossil-fuel guzzlers given the relatively short hops these vessels need to make per trip.—
Stefan Ionescu
February 04,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He was also sanctioned by the European Union in January 2019 following a nerve agent attack in Salisbury, England, which the British government said was carried out by GRU agents to poison a former Russian spy.—
CNN's Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Children have been among those poisoned this year.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Those infected in South Carolina who haven’t yet developed encephalitis may yet do so.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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