waters down

verb

present tense third-person singular of water down
as in dilutes
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances watered down the cocktails while jacking up their prices

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of waters down Tech companies are poised for a big win if Europe waters down its digital regulations overhaul and makes compliance voluntary. — Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026 The most recent version of the deal waters down a landmark 2021 agreement that set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%. — Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026 Many have complained that having two divisions and two state champions for each classification waters down the playoffs and provides easier paths to the state championship game. — Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026 That major hedge is new, and seriously waters down the importance of these two existing constitutional criteria. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waters down
  1. dilutes
  2. loads
  3. cuts
  4. pollutes
  5. thins
  6. infects
Verb
  • Too many people touch the work, and every handoff dilutes the idea.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • That further dilutes Iran’s hold over the strait—its top source of leverage.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 28 June 2026
Definition of dilutes
Verb
  • Intelligent power switches can monitor electrical flow while controlling loads more efficiently.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
  • The app decrypts the file and loads it into the appropriate editing program.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of loads
Verb
  • When a company cuts its dividend, the stock tanks—that’s the bad scenario.
    — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • There are a few loadouts available at HP's site, but the best overall deal is on this model, which cuts a full 50% off.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 4 July 2026
Definition of cuts
Verb
  • Unless the energy powering data centers comes from clean energy sources, such as solar, wind or geothermal, generating that electricity also pollutes the air.
    — Ed Maibach, The Conversation, 8 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Definition of pollutes
Verb
  • Data centers are physical assets with long lives, many let to some of the most creditworthy names on earth, and a diversified bond fund thins any single failure to a rounding error.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • The challenge for Minnesota is that the center market thins out considerably after those two names.
    — Michael Russo, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of thins
Verb
  • Tomato Wilt Due To Root-Knot Nematodes Another pest that infects tomato plants below ground is the root-knot nematode.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
  • But even with federal legislation prohibiting discrimination, the pernicious virus of bias infects too many institutions.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
Definition of infects

Browse Nearby Words

waters
waters down
watershed
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Cite this Entry

“Waters down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waters%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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