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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Such critics are concerned that our approach might dilute the sense of urgency necessary and undermine public messaging.—
Francesco Rubino,
Time,
9 July 2025 -
Fill the glass with ice, and repeat with the other glass. 3: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, stir together the Earl Grey simple syrup, lime juice and smoked paprika until thoroughly chilled and diluted, about 15 seconds.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Using Bellinger there allowed Boone to load up the lineup with left-handed bats against Mets right-hander Frankie Montas.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
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The bases were loaded in the bottom of the inning with one out, and the Huskies were up to bat.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Verb
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Some were prosthetic buttocks, but others were people’s own buttocks, but in various states, like dirtied down and with partial covering.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
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Crow-Armstrong has dirtied up the White Sox in six of those games, batting .458 with eight RBIs and a homer.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Every first without him will cut especially deep, but there will also be comfort to be gained from being back together at Kirkby.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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The chances the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by 50 basis points in December are growing, according to Oxford Economics.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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If contaminated floodwater is swallowed, or pollutes drinking water, this can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses such as stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.—
ByMary Kekatos,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
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For decades, biologists have studied how cities affect wildlife by altering food supplies, fragmenting habitats and polluting the environment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Prior to foreign hunters visiting Uruguay and providing a financial incentive to keep the birds’ populations healthy, ducks were often poisoned en masse because they were seen as little more than crop raiders.—
Chris Dorsey,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Has sports gambling poisoned the relationship between athletes and fans?—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Investigators said one of the patients, an 18-year-old, likely became infected about six days before his first doctor’s visit when he was bitten by fleas while walking through a prairie dog colony in Navajo County, about 103 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Season 2 of The Last of Us finds Joel (Pedro Pascal) not only fending off humans infected with the Cordyceps virus, but other survivors seeking revenge on Joel for his past actions.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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