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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cheapen
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
The one thing that will cheapen a home is too short of a window treatment or one that is mounted incorrectly.
—Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
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
The one thing that will cheapen a home is too short of a window treatment or one that is mounted incorrectly.
—Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
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Indianapolis will serve as one of five U.S. Department of Agriculture hubs as the federal agency reduces and reorganizes its workforce under President Donald Trump's administration.—
Kaitlin Lange,
IndyStar,
26 July 2025
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The ban aims to improve academic achievement, reduce cyberbullying, and minimize classroom disruptions.—
Ruby Grisin,
The Courier-Journal,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Metal can tarnish or degrade when exposed to humidity, and many materials degrade when exposed to cardboard that isn't acid-free.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
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In the last year, Israel has managed to significantly degrade the capabilities of its adversaries, particularly Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and its June conflict with Iran – with the help of the U.S. – was widely seen as having dealt a significant blow to Tehran’s abilities to harm the Jewish state.—
Natasha Turak,
CNBC,
18 July 2025
Verb
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Over 24 cycles, the show humiliated hundreds of young, naïve women (and, briefly, men) in the name of entertainment.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
9 July 2025
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Soldatov said that along this path was the 2008 war in Georgia, which showed the Russian army would not be humiliated anymore.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
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This weakens their ability to educate, create, and grow.—
Miguel Cardona,
Time,
21 July 2025
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This could help verify recent findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) that suggest this strange force is actually weakening over time.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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This is mainly an effort to discredit and demonize property taxes, which DeSantis wants to abolish or severely curtail in Florida.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
26 July 2025
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Trump’s theory here, juiced by Gabbard, is that Obama used talk of Russian election interference to discredit Trump’s 2016 election win and hobble his first term in office.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Alex managed to bypass Charlie’s detection by training herself to swallow all her natural impulses when lying, subverting the template of the show and what fans have come to expect.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
10 July 2025
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On the flip side, some influencers have posted images of them wearing Skims' retro girdle as a sole outfit, subverting the 1950s connotation of undergarments as visible only to one's husband, said Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, professor of gender at Case Western Reserve University.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Look, the Yankees didn’t embarrass themselves in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Monday night.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
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In the aftermath, the mother was angry for a week, accusing him of undermining her authority and embarrassing her in front of their social circle.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
Verb
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While instilling fear by propagating cruelty may be a de facto policy to deter others from immigrating to the U.S., demeaning people in this way demeans us all.—
Nicole Widdersheim,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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The former Islander was removed from the villa after using a word that demeans the Asian community.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
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