water down
Britishverb
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to dilute or weaken with water
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to modify or adulterate, esp so as to omit anything harsh, unpleasant, or offensive
to water down the truth
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At times, however, Ms. Kanakia’s caution threatens to water down the strength of her argument.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
To handle the extra volume, engineers send surplus water down 5 Shaft into the deep pool below, much like an overflow spillway helps relieve pressure at a full reservoir.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
“There is no way to slice and dice this report to water down the horrible headline,” writes John Ryding, chief economic advisor at Brean Capital.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Bass repeatedly has denied she was involved in any effort to water down the after-action report, which was meant to spell out mistakes in the Palisades fire response and suggest measures to avoid repeating them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
“Then pour some water down your gullet and let’s get hopping.”
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
