sweeten up
verb
sweetened up; sweetening up; sweetens up
informal
: to be very nice to (someone) in order to get something
He's been trying to sweeten his mother up so she'll lend him the car.
Examples of sweeten up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pale pink polka dots and alternating base colors sweeten up latte-brown French tips.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
Crumbl has another New Year’s Eve deal to sweeten up the holiday.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
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.
Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
Crumbl has another New Year’s Eve deal to sweeten up the holiday.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sweeten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
