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
Some Republicans, however, have expressed caution about watering down districts heading into an election cycle that is historically bad for the party in the White House.
—
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 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
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 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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However, hyponatremia, a condition that results from drinking too much water and effectively diluting the sodium content of your blood, can actually be far more dangerous.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
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The challenge lies in tailoring your tone without diluting the mission or fragmenting the brand.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Earlier, officers were seen loading several people into a vehicle along the same stretch of street.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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On Wednesday, a jury in California determined that Meta and YouTube were responsible for loading their social media platforms with addictive features that harmed the mental health of a minor.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That the Illini couldn’t complete their comeback attempt despite cutting it to four in the final minutes was dismaying.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony a couple of hours before the game, gigantic scissors slicing a pink ribbon.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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California’s standards have spurred important technological innovations for vehicles, including new types of less-polluting gasoline and vehicles that emit no pollution at all.—
Ann E. Carlson,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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The only thing standing in the way of progress is the powerful plastics and fossil fuel lobbyists — hired by the same companies responsible for polluting our planet and bodies with plastic and its toxic chemicals.—
Shanna Swan,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In contrast, hair loss tends to show up in specific patterns — such as thinning near the temples, a widening hairline, or bald areas near the crown — and happen more gradually.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Three more players, all defensemen, got banged up in the Panthers’ 6-3 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena, thinning out an already thin roster that has eight games left on its schedule and is all but mathematically eliminated from making the Stanley Cup playoffs.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The duo’s follow-up project Los Frikis, a drama based on true events about group of punk rockers in ’90s Cuba who cultivate a utopian refuge from society after deliberately infecting themselves with HIV, was similarly lauded.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
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To pursue that work, Sassetti’s NIH grant paid for collecting blood samples from people in Lima, Peru — who carry a unique immune gene — and then infecting their cells with TB in the lab.—
Megan Molteni,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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After Kouri Richins was charged with murder for fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, a friend of the Utah mother of three had a difficult time reconciling that.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watering down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20down. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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