sweetened; sweetening
ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈswēt-niŋ
1
: to make sweet
2
: to soften the mood or attitude of
3
: to make less painful or trying
4
: to free from a harmful or undesirable quality or substance
especially
: to remove sulfur compounds from
sweeten natural gas
5
: to make more valuable or attractive
sweeten the deal
: such as
a
: to increase (a pot not won on the previous deal) by anteing prior to another deal
b
: to place additional securities as collateral for (a loan)
: to become sweet
Examples of sweeten in a Sentence
He sweetened his cereal a little.
He sweetened the deal with a large signing bonus.
Recent Examples on the Web
The prospect of working alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn only sweetened the deal.
—
Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
The cookies are sweetened with maltitol, polydextrose, sucralose, and Ace-K, and do not contain aspartame.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Dec. 2025
Each layer—the crust, filling, and topping—is lightly sweetened and spiced with the finished dessert in mind.
—Justin Burke, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025
County leaders in the '90s promised voters that rebate to sweeten the deal for the half cent sales tax, which funds Paycor Stadium, Great American Ball Park and payments to Cincinnati Public Schools.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweeten
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Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
The cookies are sweetened with maltitol, polydextrose, sucralose, and Ace-K, and do not contain aspartame.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Dec. 2025
Each layer—the crust, filling, and topping—is lightly sweetened and spiced with the finished dessert in mind.
—Justin Burke, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025
County leaders in the '90s promised voters that rebate to sweeten the deal for the half cent sales tax, which funds Paycor Stadium, Great American Ball Park and payments to Cincinnati Public Schools.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweeten
Cite this Entry
“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.
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