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.
"Any attempt to water down these targets could send warning signals to these investors about the government's long-term commitment to electrifying our transport network," he added.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
The vast expanse of water down the left had gobbled up Young's ball less than 24 hours earlier.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 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
Both Berlin and Italy also helped pressure the EU to water down its 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars -- a decision again opposed, unsuccessfully, by France.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
She was moving fast—fast like a dancer in a temple ritual, fast like a snake in the Red Desert, fast like water down the side of a mountain.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
