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 Here's how Wisconsinites can tap clean power on the cheap. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024 Chipotle, Taco Bell, Qdoba and more have plenty of ways to get your burrito fix on the cheap. Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024 Iger has smartly resisted bringing in strategic partners with questionable value-add or selling off ESPN on the cheap. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024 For decades, China’s booming cities and factories have relied on the cheap labor of countless migrants without granting them access to urban social welfare benefits, including education for their children. Nectar Gan, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Liam said this is something that can be done on the cheap, too. Mason Leib, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Within months, one of its buyers filed for bankruptcy protection and Albertsons repurchased 33 of those stores on the cheap. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 And just as important, a Boeing that tries to do its job on the cheap isn’t a Boeing worth having. Gautam Mukunda, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Bad service is often the consequence of cutting costs, but optimists are hopeful that advances in tech can check both boxes, providing good service on the cheap. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the cheap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of on the cheap was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near on the cheap

Cite this Entry

“On the cheap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20cheap. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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