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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for water down
Verb
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Old-timers’ fears of diversity diluting the unique Vienna affect — the blend of instruments being a wonder of the orchestral world — proved unsurprisingly unfounded.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025 -
Expand only when revenue and opportunity justify it, allowing growth without diluting your brand or abandoning your core audience.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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They would be loaded on buses and sent through the Kerem Shalom crossing either to Ashdod port, or to an airport near Eilat.—
Tom Soufi Burridge,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Investigators said Hernandez gunned Quadri down, loaded his body into Quadri’s car, then abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot on San Antonio’s south side before checking into a nearby hotel, KABB reported.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
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Instead of dirtying a larger pot for your supporting dishes, this quaint cooker will come in handy for quick (or slower simmering) concoctions while matching your kitchen atmosphere.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Within the scheme’s first week, traffic had fallen by 7.5%, with 273,000 fewer cars entering Manhattan’s central business district, and travel times on inbound river crossings had been cut by more than a third, leading to faster bus journeys.—
Laurie Winkless,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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How about water: The Trump administration is cutting about 10% of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s California staff.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The legislation came in response to a 2023 scientific report that warned existing programs to curb urban and farm runoff polluting the Bay and its rivers were falling short.—
Timothy Wheeler,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2025
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The second Trump administration is again promoting polluting power sources while pulling back support for renewable energy development.—
Mike Shriberg,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The invisible, odorless gas is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, killing more than 400 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2025
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Thousands each year are shot, poisoned to suffer, and trapped legally.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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If people take it after they have been infected, the drug can help to reduce the amount of virus the immune system has to manage and can lower the chances of severe disease.—
Alice Park,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025
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About in 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who contract measles are hospitalized and about 1 in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death in young children who get infected.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Water down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/water%20down. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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