water down

verb

1. to dilute or weaken with water

2. to modify or adulterate, esp so as to omit anything harsh, unpleasant, or offensive

   to water down the truth

Other Word Forms

• watered-down adjective

Idioms and Phrases

Dilute or weaken, as in He watered down that unfavorable report with feeble excuses. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Some, who climbed on top of one partially destroyed market, tossed food and bottles of water down below, where people gathered with arms outstretched.

Read more on BBC

The focus of the national grooming gangs inquiry "will not change" or be "watered down", Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has insisted.

Read more on BBC

“The last thing we want to do is basically pull the water down and impact the vegetation,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There were no specifics on when Israeli troops would withdraw, and the reference to a Palestinian state had been watered down.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There also was criticism on the right from Will Swaim of the California Policy Center — which said the bill that emerged was too watered down.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• attenuate 
• weaken