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
Those who make team success about them only cheapen the process.
—
Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Grungy, Mismatched, or Wet Hand Towels Even in the most elegant bathroom, old towels instantly cheapen the space.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
And perhaps worst of all, inflating every slight into oppression cheapens true injustice.
—Jonathan Alpert, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Evidence that algorithms can amplify, rather than cheapen, moral reckoning.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Grungy, Mismatched, or Wet Hand Towels Even in the most elegant bathroom, old towels instantly cheapen the space.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
And perhaps worst of all, inflating every slight into oppression cheapens true injustice.
—Jonathan Alpert, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Evidence that algorithms can amplify, rather than cheapen, moral reckoning.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
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To reduce the risk of mosquito bites and West Nile virus, health officials recommend using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and long pants when outdoors, especially during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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Autos Are an Economic Anchor China’s bold move into electric vehicles began in 2009 as a top-down policy to compete with foreign automakers, cut air pollution and reduce oil imports.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, disease and human activity, such as pollution, have severely degraded Florida's reefs, according to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
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The team’s goal is to track and predict how asphalt roads degrade.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An Italian activist who was part of the Gaza aid flotilla and subsequently detained by Israel has described allegations of being mistreated and humiliated while in Israeli custody, with little access to legal assistance.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
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Even its most mean-spirited plotline, in which a married couple assemble a fake theater production to humiliate their ex-neighbor whose noisiness prompted them to move, is presented as more of a gentle exercise in silliness than anything truly vindictive.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Khan and his lawyers have contended that Netanyahu and his allies are exploiting a vulnerable woman in order to discredit the case against the Israeli leaders.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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Felt, in classic Hoover fashion, then leaked information to discredit Gray, hoping to replace him.—
Douglas M. Charles,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The show also subverted what the traditional mother-daughter relationship, and the role of a mother in general, can look like in the modern world.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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The film examines how boundaries are inscribed and looks to plants as models for subverting systems of control.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The minor student created memes and posted them on the Instagram account to embarrass and make fun of the students.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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That behavior is embarrassing anywhere, and goes against all of golf etiquette.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Marra’s wife says their family has received hateful messages and read demeaning online posts about them since Hegseth posted about Marra on X a few weeks ago.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Sep. 2025
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Beyond wait time fees, the DOJ complaint also details instances where Uber drivers allegedly refused service to passengers with service animals, canceled rides after learning a passenger was blind, or demeaned riders with disabilities.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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