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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cheapen
Far from cheapening or diluting Ibsen’s themes and conflicts, the action revitalizes them.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
In this way, Bad Bunny’s popularity has not cheapened his message.
—Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
In practice this approach only cheapens the form.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Newcomers who don’t understand the rules, and somehow, seek to cheapen Pilates.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
In this way, Bad Bunny’s popularity has not cheapened his message.
—Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
In practice this approach only cheapens the form.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Newcomers who don’t understand the rules, and somehow, seek to cheapen Pilates.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
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This comes at a time when there has been talk of reducing the number of PGA tournaments on the calendar.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The cross-border clearing platform could streamline operations, reducing risks in OTC trades that dominate the market.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These gaps are weak spots that can spread inward, causing the crystal structure to degrade and ultimately reduce the cell’s efficiency.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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The issue has intensified in recent years and is only set to get worse, as the relentless expansion of urban centres brings artificial light further into the countryside, permeating and degrading our view of the heavens.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Days after the segment was recorded, Schmitz shot Amedure to death, then confessed to the murder, saying he'd been humiliated on national TV.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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During the flight, she’s thoroughly humiliated when someone finds her audition tape for Survivor and displays it on his laptop for all to enjoy.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The finance minister’s comments come after Takaichi sent a fresh warning on Sunday that the government will be ready to take action amid a weakening yen and surging bond yields.—
Mia Glass,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Over the past day, the trough that was keeping the storm track far away from us here has weakened, allowing the track to be closer to us.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Supporters of Pahlavi were particularly vocal in Mashhad this month, as attested by the prevalence of pro-monarchy graffiti on city walls, and the regime’s propaganda devoted particular attention to discrediting the former crown prince.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
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Mayers said one lawful action should not be used to discredit another lawful action.—
Steve Karnowski,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His ability to play with genre in the most unexpected way shines through in this gripping story which expertly subverts your expectations in the most thrilling and surprising way.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
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Tariffs, conquests; all are subverted to this man’s ego.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The assignment is to sit there and talk about it in public and possibly embarrass yourself by getting into a verbal confrontation in front of a restaurant of otherwise uninterested bystanders.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Recently, Ryan spoke about the Beckham situation, the process of writing material as a mother without embarrassing her kids and her new goal of returning to the career trajectory of her pre-pregnant self in the near future.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The shrine is Canton is demeaned and the Class of ‘26 stained.—
Greg Cote
February 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
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Not that Purdy would ever demean a teammate in public.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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