WATERING DOWN Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

watering down

verb

present participle of water down

as in diluting

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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Recent Examples of watering down But Reeves and Starmer faced criticism for some of their fiscal policies, such as increasing National Insurance — a kind of tax on employment — for businesses, and watering down welfare reforms to appease backbench lawmakers. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 21 July 2026 Asking for sportsbook revenue while simultaneously watering down the product and coddling rule-breakers with minor-league rehab is a terrible look. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026 These rules have already been subject to watering down proposals. — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 But the most basic reforms seem to require years of discussion and back-and-forth and watering down. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026 Dress the salad right before serving to prevent the melon and cucumbers from watering down the vinaigrette. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 May 2026 But watering down safe Republican seats in a tough year for the incumbent party, could backfire, some have predicted. — Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026 Name, image and likeness money is pulling guys with borderline first-round grades back to school, which is watering down the top of each class. — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Trump blinked, pausing and watering down many of those tariffs in response to extreme market pressure. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for watering down

Verb

State rules direct significantly more sales tax to the unincorporated general fund, diluting the share of property taxes.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
The next three drivers ranked outside the Chase — Ross Chastain (12th at Richmond), Brad Keselowski (26th) and Erik Jones (27th) — also lost ground, diluting the potential drama of a surprise qualifier.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of diluting

Verb

The splash screen that appears when loading up Orbitals, showing Shapefarm and publisher Kepler Interactive’s logos, is soaked in retro-futuristic bright neon like Apple’s back in the 80s.

— George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The roofline is flatter, the rear compartment is more accommodating, and loading bulky stuff is easier.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of loading

Verb

Trading firms began using low-latency (shorter delay) technology and co-locating servers inside exchange data centers, cutting trade execution times to milliseconds and making speed itself a competitive advantage.

— Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Jet fuel costs have skyrocketed, too, leading airlines to hike airfare and baggage fees while cutting less profitable flights.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of cutting

Verb

Such plans are contrary to Indonesia’s promises to cut its use of coal, the most heavily polluting major fossil fuel and a significant source of planet-warming emissions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Environmental groups advocated for SB 954 over concerns that the CEQA exemption could allow heavily polluting facilities to bypass environmental review.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of polluting

Verb

Telescopes show Venus's crescent lengthening and thinning throughout the month, but observers at mid-northern latitudes will find Venus's image to be blurred by turbulence low in the sky.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The company also reported promising mid-stage data for women with thinning hair in July.

— Avalon Pernell, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of thinning

Verb

In Vermont, federal researchers are hoping to save American elm trees by infecting young saplings with the fungal disease that has nearly exterminated the tall, once prevalent, East Coast trees.

— Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
On the screen, the room glimpsed stitches from the emergency operations, the mold and pus infecting him, the brutal anti-glamour of a homicide victim.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of infecting

Verb

This is the league, remember, where a man (Harvey Updyke) confessed to poisoning the trees at Auburn on a radio show after Alabama lost to the Tigers, and a coach (Jackie Sherrill at Mississippi State) castrated a bull to motivate his squad.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
See affected product Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually start six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of poisoning

Browse Nearby Words

watering cans

watering down

watering hole

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“Watering down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20down. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of watering down

verb

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