water down

verb

watered down; watering down; waters down

transitive verb

: to reduce or temper the force or effectiveness of
watered down the plan
watered-down adjective

Examples of water down in a Sentence

watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Taking us out of the equation would water down and compromise the world’s ability to fight disease, and would be tantamount to compromising yourselves. Alice Park, Time, 2 Apr. 2025 But Kevin Dempsey, CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said the tariff helped revive the industry before the levy was watered down by exceptions and loopholes. Paul Davidson, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025 Moore repeatedly pointed to his tax plan — which was watered down by the General Assembly. Bryan P. Sears, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2025 One colleague argued that, fundamentally, standardization leads to watering down metrics such that the measurement is no longer useful. The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for water down

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water down was in 1811

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20down. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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