on the cheap

idiomatic phrase

: at minimum expense : cheaply
did the job on the cheap

Examples of on the cheap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The loophole that once allowed American consumers to buy goods from China and Hong Kong on the cheap is closing on Friday, May 2, which means that Temu shoppers will now be subject to new tariffs. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025 By traditional means of valuing stocks, Jim said Apple’s forward price-to-earnings ratio of around 23 times, according to FactSet, is on the cheap side compared with its five-year average multiple of 30 times. Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025 This is filmmaking as leap of faith: Nouvelle Vague may seem glowingly modest, but unlike Breathless, it couldn’t be made on the cheap. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 May 2025 Get ready to level up your tech game on the cheap with today’s Amazon deals. Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for 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

Cite this Entry

“On the cheap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20cheap. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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