water down

British  

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

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water down Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• watered-down adjective

Example Sentences

This was all before sources told The Times last week that Bass ordered an after-action report on the Palisades fire be — no pun intended — watered down to limit legal liability against the city.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday, The Times reported that Bass was directly involved in watering down the city’s after-action report on the fire, citing unnamed sources.

From Los Angeles Times

Caruso had been reconsidering whether or not to run, citing a Times article, published Wednesday, in which two unnamed sources described Mayor Karen Bass’ involvement in watering down an after-action report on the Palisades fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Bass, who is facing renewed scrutiny after an analysis of the Palisades fire was watered down, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Wednesday’s meeting.

From Los Angeles Times

The chancellor is expected to water down the planned changes for pubs, which industry groups warned would see mass closures without a government rethink.

From BBC

Related Words

• attenuate
• weaken