THIN OUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does thin out mean? 

• THIN OUT (verb)
  The verb THIN OUT has 3 senses:

1. make sparse

2. become sparser

3. lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture

  Familiarity information: THIN OUT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• THIN OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make sparse

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

thin out the young plants

Hypernyms (to "thin out" is one way to...):

bring down; cut; cut back; cut down; reduce; trim; trim back; trim down (cut down on; make a reduction in)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "thin out"):

clip; crop; cut back; dress; lop; prune; snip; trim (cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become sparser

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

Towards the end of town, the houses thinned out

Hypernyms (to "thin out" is one way to...):

decrease; diminish; fall; lessen (decrease in size, extent, or range)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

cut; dilute; reduce; thin; thin out

Context example:

cut bourbon

Hypernyms (to "thin out" is one way to...):

weaken (lessen the strength of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "thin out"):

water down (make less strong or intense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something