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
But watering down safe Republican seats in a tough year for the incumbent party, could backfire, some have predicted.
—
Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Broiling the vegetables keeps them from watering down the casserole.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Name, image and likeness money is pulling guys with borderline first-round grades back to school, which is watering down the top of each class.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Trump blinked, pausing and watering down many of those tariffs in response to extreme market pressure.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 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
Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Broiling the vegetables keeps them from watering down the casserole.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Name, image and likeness money is pulling guys with borderline first-round grades back to school, which is watering down the top of each class.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Trump blinked, pausing and watering down many of those tariffs in response to extreme market pressure.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 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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The court lifted a ruling that had blocked state Republicans' preferred map as racially discriminatory and for illegally diluting the voting power of Black Alabamians.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
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By launching a version of the Royal Oak to the general public and transforming it into a playful, versatile pop culture object, the brand is taking a risky step toward diluting its own equity.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Then the human welder has to finish the areas where the robot can’t reach, then pull it out and start loading new parts.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Levu remained hot, banging home an RBI single in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit by a run.—
Jack Vita,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Upon arrival, crews immediately began cutting holes in the roof for ventilation and took an offensive approach to battling the flames.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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As a brand built on ethical fashion on a mission to improve the industry, Everlane—and its CEO—has sold its soul to the devil by associating itself with one (if not the) most polluting fast-fashion player in the world.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Engineers and safety experts are solving problems in a new technology that gets us off expensive and polluting fossil fuels.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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With Wharton’s recent surgery and Brooks’ injury history, the Panthers are likely to be cautious about thinning the roster at their respective positions.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
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Under the thinning clouds, the Gulf was like a fogged mirror.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The year before that, SARS had emerged, ultimately infecting over 8,000 people in nearly 30 countries.—
Neil Vora,
Time,
22 May 2026
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The outbreak lasted for two years, infecting at least 28,600 people and killing at least 11,325.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The chemotherapy doctors are poisoning you.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
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Boys State team Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss are behind Teenage Wasteland, which revisits the story of a group of teenagers in upstate New York, who in the early 1990s make a film that uncovers a conspiracy that is poisoning their community.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watering down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20down. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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