on the cheap

phrase

: at minimum expense : cheaply

did the job on the cheap

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of on the cheap was in 1859

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Style

“On the cheap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20cheap. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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on the cheap

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