To water down is to weaken by adding liquid, or to soften a demand. Water down the proposal.
The figurative sense is far the commoner and is always a criticism. A bill that has been water down enough to pass often does nothing at all.
1phrasewater downTo weaken by adding liquid, or to soften a demand.
“They agreed to water down the clause until nobody objected.”
water down is a phrase.
Practised in Phrasal Verbs