thinned

Everyday

1. Made thinner or less thick: «She thinned the paint with water». tree →
2. Became less crowded or less dense: «The crowd thinned». tree →
3. (gardening) Took out some young plants so the others have room to grow. tree →
4. (of hair) Became thinner, with less hair: «His hair thinned as he got older». tree →

In the lessons

In art: thinned paint, thinned glue. In gardening and science: seedlings are thinned. In stories: «The fog thinned», «The crowd thinned out». In cooking: thinned sauce. Phrases: «thinned out», «thinned with water».

Examples

• Mum thinned the gravy with a little water. tree →
• The crowd thinned after the fireworks ended. tree →
• We thinned the carrot seedlings so they had space. tree →
• The fog thinned and we could see the hills. tree →
• Grandad's hair has thinned over the years. tree →
• The teacher thinned the paint so it would spread easily. tree →
• By evening, the traffic had thinned out. tree →

Note

Double n: thin → thinned, thinning. Opposite: «thickened». «Thin out» often means to become fewer or less crowded.