1
as in to reduce
to diminish the price or value of
a glutted market cheapened cranberries to the point where they were selling for less than what it cost to grow them
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2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
a politician who would cheapen herself by caving in to lobbyists
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3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
she really cheapens herself by shamelessly pursuing men like that
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cheapen
The nameless boy becomes nothing more than collateral damage on the men’s superficial spiritual journey, cheapening any real progress that the brothers had made.
—
Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
The acceleration of fast fashion has only complicated the issue, as non-essential features are cheapened or ditched in a bid to push down prices.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
And so do donors like me — who understand that supporting donors honors our sacrifice, rather than cheapens it.
—Lindsay Gutierrez, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
When the front, sides, and back are all different, the inconsistency can be distracting and cheapen the feeling of the neighborhood.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
The acceleration of fast fashion has only complicated the issue, as non-essential features are cheapened or ditched in a bid to push down prices.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
And so do donors like me — who understand that supporting donors honors our sacrifice, rather than cheapens it.
—Lindsay Gutierrez, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
When the front, sides, and back are all different, the inconsistency can be distracting and cheapen the feeling of the neighborhood.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
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The vertical design helps minimize the risk of injury from RSI and reduces muscle tension in the arm for more comfort throughout the working day.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Both north and southbound traffic on SR 37 has been moved to the southbound lanes, reducing them to one lane in each direction.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Although Israel did not fully eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, its air campaign delayed, degraded, and deterred Iran’s ambitions, and further transformed the Middle East’spolitical landscape.—
DAVID A. DEPTULA,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Aug. 2025
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They are also believed to degrade water quality, which can hurt sensitive organisms like freshwater mussels.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Luthor’s ultimate defeat is an unmasking that humiliates him by confirming his own worst fears about himself.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
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Coach Ruben Amorim publicly humiliated him before a loan move to Aston Villa for the final half of the campaign.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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But Goolsbee said Trump’s immigration crackdown likely has affected population growth and the jobs numbers, but that doesn’t mean the labor market has substantially weakened.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
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For Trump, whose political brand has long relied on projecting authenticity to his base, a sustained decline in honesty ratings could weaken his ability to roll out his agenda.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During the two-month trial, Combs’ defense attorneys focused much of their efforts on questioning – and attempting to discredit – witnesses brought forth by the prosecution.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
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Activists have worked steadily to discredit stories about famine.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The lineup features dramas, comedies, documentaries, thrillers, horror science fiction and several films that subvert the conventions of genre like Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind and Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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Both Smith and former Attorney General Merrick Garland repeatedly maintained prior to departing office that none of the actions taken in either the classified documents investigation or the probe of Trump's efforts to subvert his 2020 election loss were driven by politics.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Dodgers embarrassed them on the field and then hit the podcast circuit to shame them some more, ridiculing their defense, their baserunning, their lack of composure and even their unnecessary visits to the mound.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Big yikes: This is a sarcastic phrase to publicly mock or shame someone for a cringey comment, outfit, or behavior and is used to embarrass others in group chats or social media.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
21 July 2025
Verb
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But Trump and his allies seem to be attacking CNN for merely reporting on the assessment, even claiming that such reports are demeaning the members of the military who carried out the strikes.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
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This is not the first time Kaye has taken something intended as a compliment as ultimately patronizing, if not demeaning.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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