In culinary and food manufacturing language, to dilute a substance by adding liquid. A sauce that has reduced too far may be let down with stock, a concentrated flavouring let down with water or oil to reach the desired strength, or a batter let down with milk to correct its consistency. The term also appears in confectionery and sauce work where precise viscosity matters. Letting down must be done gradually with tasting or measurement, since over-dilution is hard to reverse. In a broader sense, the phrase describes adjusting any concentrated preparation towards a weaker, usable state.