Meaning & use
thin down
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make a liquid less thick by adding water or another liquid.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (thin down the sauce) or without (the sauce will thin down).
Patterns
- thin down something
- thin something down
- thin down with something
If the soup is too thick, thin it down with a little stock.
Thin down the paint with turpentine before you apply it.
The sauce will thin down as it heats.
verbintransitive
To become less thick or dense, especially of a crowd or forest.
Grammar: Used without an object; often followed by 'as' or 'after'.
Patterns
- thin down as something happens
The crowd began to thin down as the rain started.
The trees thin down near the top of the mountain.
Word forms
| third person singular | thins down |
|---|---|
| past tense | thinned down |
| past participle | thinned down |
| -ing form | thinning down |
Common combinations
- thin down with water
- Thin down the glue with water if it's too sticky.
- thin down the sauce
- She thinned down the sauce so it would pour easily.
- thin down the paint
- You'll need to thin down the paint before using a brush.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dilute
- Dilute is more formal and often used for chemicals; thin down is everyday and often used in cooking.
- water down
- Water down means to add water specifically; thin down can use any liquid.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: thin down or thin out?
thin down vs thin out
Thin out means to remove some plants or items to make a group less crowded; thin down means to make a liquid less thick.
Practice
The gravy is too thick. What should you do?
Choose one answer.
To make a thick liquid thinner, you add a liquid like water, so 'thin it down with some water' is correct. Adding flour would thicken it, and 'thicken down' and 'thin up' are not standard phrases.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thin down”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.