1
as in to reduce
to diminish the price or value of
a glutted market cheapened cranberries to the point where they were selling for less than what it cost to grow them
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
a politician who would cheapen herself by caving in to lobbyists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
she really cheapens herself by shamelessly pursuing men like that
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cheapen
And the body that sold stories like Chambliss’s for years, who swore compensating players would cheapen the game, is the only entity who wants his story to end.
—
Bomani Jones, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Assigning a dollar value to life was never meant to cheapen it; it was meant to ensure it wasn’t lost.
—Andrew Behar, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
And such a misapplication cheapens it and robs it of its spiritual beauty and impact.
—James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
The result is that sports are cheapened, perhaps irredeemably.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Bomani Jones, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Assigning a dollar value to life was never meant to cheapen it; it was meant to ensure it wasn’t lost.
—Andrew Behar, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
And such a misapplication cheapens it and robs it of its spiritual beauty and impact.
—James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
The result is that sports are cheapened, perhaps irredeemably.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
-
The coronavirus vaccine reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events linked to covid-19 — strokes, heart attacks, and hospitalization from heart disease — by about 40 percent, according to a new study.—
Daniel Wu,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
-
Fox would take on $8 million in debt to pay for the Roku acquisition, and the companies expect to reduce combined expenses by $400 million.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Operating without high temperatures also allowed the researchers to use a wider range of sensing materials, including polymers that might degrade under heat.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
-
Thermomechanical recycling, another energy-intensive endeavor, relies on high-quality, homogeneous feedstock that can only be processed a limited number of times before the plastic degrades.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Only the United States was humiliated; both countries have experienced a catastrophic loss.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
However, they were then humiliated 2-1, after extra time, by second division side Torreense in the final.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
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This, of course, is problematic for the homegrown haters because the opposing opinion from neutral outsiders weakens their argument and should strengthen our resolve.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
News organizations have always faced scrutiny from targets frustrated by elements of their reporting, or looking to discredit those stories altogether.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
Those accusations have long been discredited.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
These movies are about shocking and surprising the audience by setting up an expectation and then subverting that expectation.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
-
Director Wes Craven executes a masterclass in tension, shock, and subverting expectations.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Critics wondered whether prices would crash before kickoff, and if swathes of empty seats would embarrass FIFA’s pricing strategy.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
-
With no league and no roadmap, a ragtag group of players and an unlikely coach endured a grueling two-year training camp, hoping simply not to embarrass their nation at the first-ever World Cup on American soil.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Racists dismissed them as lesser beings, demeaned them and made life hard for all people of color — whites-only facilities and hard jobs.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
-
Inspectors documented staff using demeaning language, displaying extremist imagery, and engaging in conduct that violated the Bureau’s own standards.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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