on the cheap

phrase

: at minimum expense : cheaply

did the job on the cheap

Examples of on the cheap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Too often the United States misidentifies its foreign policy problems as solvable on the cheap. — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

Elite players in their prime — Simmons is 29 and had a career-best 11 sacks last season — aren’t available on the cheap. — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026

The ultra-lean trimmings imported on the cheap have been frozen, possibly for years, intended to be mixed with fattier domestic meat to make ground beef. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Nov. 2026

Kohrmann’s Metro marathon is a great counterpoint to the typical Cannonball runs, and not just because it was done on the cheap. — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for on the cheap

• asleep
• upkeep
• beep
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap
• seep