sweetened; sweetening
ˈswēt-niŋ 
ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ
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
Beverages like sodas and sweetened coffees, as well as sweet snacks, breakfast bars, and condiments, tend tend to be where most sugar comes from.
—
Jessie Shafer, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
Made with chilled black tea, this drink is sweetened with a pineapple simple syrup made from fresh pineapple juice and spiked with a splash of vodka.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2024
Verma Farms uses fruits and vegetables, including beets, to sweeten their products.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Diaz at Sunnyvale Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram expects new-vehicle incentives to sweeten as long as interest rates are quashing demand.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Book now at Ace Hotel Book a suite with Loews Hotels and get extra on-site perks
Loews Hotels is sweetening its suite experience by giving travelers up to $125 daily for food and drink—the credit amount varies by location—plus free Premium Plus Wi-Fi.
—Kyler Alvord, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2024
They’re made with simple ingredients like nut butters, dark chocolate, and flaxseed oil and sweetened with organic honey.
—Jenny McCoy, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024
And to sweeten things even more, Kenoza Hall is hosting a maple-tapping weekend with a lesson on how to tap trees yielding maple syrup, plus a maple-inspired get together with cocktails, goodies and good vibes.
—Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024
Rich floral and red fruit notes sweetened with honey and textured with hearty oak and brown spices.
—The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
Jessie Shafer, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
Made with chilled black tea, this drink is sweetened with a pineapple simple syrup made from fresh pineapple juice and spiked with a splash of vodka.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2024
Verma Farms uses fruits and vegetables, including beets, to sweeten their products.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Diaz at Sunnyvale Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram expects new-vehicle incentives to sweeten as long as interest rates are quashing demand.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Book now at Ace Hotel Book a suite with Loews Hotels and get extra on-site perks
Loews Hotels is sweetening its suite experience by giving travelers up to $125 daily for food and drink—the credit amount varies by location—plus free Premium Plus Wi-Fi.
—Kyler Alvord, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2024
They’re made with simple ingredients like nut butters, dark chocolate, and flaxseed oil and sweetened with organic honey.
—Jenny McCoy, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024
And to sweeten things even more, Kenoza Hall is hosting a maple-tapping weekend with a lesson on how to tap trees yielding maple syrup, plus a maple-inspired get together with cocktails, goodies and good vibes.
—Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024
Rich floral and red fruit notes sweetened with honey and textured with hearty oak and brown spices.
—The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweeten.' 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
circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing sweeten
Dictionary Entries Near sweeten
Cite this Entry
“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on sweeten
Nglish: Translation of sweeten for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sweeten for Arabic Speakers
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