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.
Meta had already watered down policies to limit the spread of falsehoods. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025 Hopkins said firefighters fought the fire defensively, using an aerial ladder to spray water down upon the blaze from above. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2025 Warne would not have approved of watering down fire and brimstone. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024 Wealthy countries and small island nations have also been concerned by efforts led by Saudi Arabia to water down calls from last year’s summit to phase out fossil fuels. Afp, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near water down

Cite this Entry

“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20down. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on water down

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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