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
From spreading atop toast to dipping strawberries, chocolate-hazelnut spread instantly sweetens and delights.
—
Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
The cocktail comes to us, like so many greats, from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks and the recipe most of us use is more or less the same as his—a healthy pour of Irish whiskey, with lime juice and some grenadine (pomegranate syrup) to sweeten.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
Texans who receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will no longer be able to use their benefits to buy candy or sweetened drinks, according to a news release from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
—Maria Salette Ontiveros, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Specialty coffee drinks from Starbucks and Dunkin' are often sweetened, but the sugar content varies widely.
—Jenna Anderson, Health, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sweeten
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Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
The cocktail comes to us, like so many greats, from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks and the recipe most of us use is more or less the same as his—a healthy pour of Irish whiskey, with lime juice and some grenadine (pomegranate syrup) to sweeten.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
Texans who receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will no longer be able to use their benefits to buy candy or sweetened drinks, according to a news release from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
—Maria Salette Ontiveros, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Specialty coffee drinks from Starbucks and Dunkin' are often sweetened, but the sugar content varies widely.
—Jenna Anderson, Health, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sweeten
Cite this Entry
“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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