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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Powell recommends adding two to three tablespoons of shampoo to an empty bottle that has a nozzle and diluting it with water.—
Annie Blay,
Allure,
13 Feb. 2025 -
Rinse your mouth with tap water after drinking, and reduce the amount of lemon in your drink or dilute it with water. — MELISSA NIEVES, LND, RD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD Summary Lemons are full of beneficial nutrients, especially vitamin C.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Investigators later determined that the bomb was hidden in a cassette recorder and packed in a suitcase that was loaded on a plane from Malta to Frankfurt, Germany, with no accompanying passenger.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN,
23 Feb. 2025
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To get started, simply prepare your base in one of the pints, freeze for 24 hours, then load it into the machine and watch the magic happen.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
22 Feb. 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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Today, Meaghan Garvey offers an ontological bonus cut from her time in Sweden with King Nothingg.—
Meaghan Garvey,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2025
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Another option for cutting expenses would be to shift more Medicaid costs to the states, which would also be a de facto cut in services, since states, even California, likely couldn’t afford to keep the plan as-is without that federal money.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In addition to damaging vegetation, off-road driving can pollute water sources, threaten sensitive cultural and historical sites, endanger wildlife, and disrupt and compact the soil.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 Feb. 2025
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The areas create tiny ecosystems, but even these have been polluted by human garbage and waste.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There’s enough lawbreaking to keep Lou and Henry busy trying to work out who might have poisoned an insufferable tech bro or kidnapped a talentless aspiring actress.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Feb. 2025
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Bolsonaro, the former far-right leader, is accused of plotting a coup to stay in power, inciting violence and hatching a plan to poison the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For one thing, the current versions of the H5N1 virus that are infecting animals don’t seem very good at infecting humans.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
18 Feb. 2025
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In July 2021, the pope underwent a three-hour surgery to remove part of his colon, in response to diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
17 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2025.
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