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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
The result is that sports are cheapened, perhaps irredeemably.
—
Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
There was only ever one copy of the album created, an intentional choice by RZA, the leader of the group, and Dutch Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz, who felt the streaming age was cheapening music.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
For some Snoopy enthusiasts, the high volume of Snoopy products borders on oversaturation, threatening to cheapen the spirit of the character.
—Malia Mendez, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Thinking of this as just chapter one of a longer arc threatens to cheapen it a little in retrospect, especially if the finale is conclusive and satisfying.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
There was only ever one copy of the album created, an intentional choice by RZA, the leader of the group, and Dutch Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz, who felt the streaming age was cheapening music.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
For some Snoopy enthusiasts, the high volume of Snoopy products borders on oversaturation, threatening to cheapen the spirit of the character.
—Malia Mendez, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Thinking of this as just chapter one of a longer arc threatens to cheapen it a little in retrospect, especially if the finale is conclusive and satisfying.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
-
In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned at a Singaporean prison for vandalism, a day after his sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has—unfairly—been reduced to an excuse to drink tequila and eat guac.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
In applications like data centers, where batteries may cycle multiple times a day, lithium-ion systems degrade relatively quickly.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
-
Corning's optical solutions ensure that the data being sent between servers doesn't degrade — a risk with the copper wires used historically before the era of agentic AI computing.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Those who don’t get the job leave diminished, sometimes humiliated, and the institution absorbs the damage quietly for years.—
Paul Hardart,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
Blue is officially fired for injecting a patient with an unapproved drug, and in a devastating twist, he is humiliated by and forced to give his badge back to Richard in front of Catherine (Debbie Allen).—
Max Gao,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The deeper the rifts between the United States and Europe over Iran, the greater the chances of weakening the NATO alliance.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
During his appearances on Capitol Hill this month, Secretary Kennendy was grilled about the administration's defense of the pesticide industry and weakening of protections against mercury pollution, another issue that Kennedy had worked on as an advocate.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But whereas leftist thinkers starting with Marx saw the liberal ideal as totally discredited, a mere camouflage for capitalist power, Habermas kept faith with the utopian potential of liberalism.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
The apparent goal is to discredit accusers in public — then circulate the smears to their social circles — as well as demoralize adversaries amid legal disputes, forcing quiet settlements on preferred terms.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kardashian subverted expectations at the 2021 Met Gala by arriving in a face-covering body stocking by Balenciaga.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Those involved may not want to push their expensive retro recreation to the limit but it is certainly got the potential to embarrass plenty of more modern machines.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 May 2026
-
Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.—
Alma Hernandez,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
His ties to Epstein undercut his reputation (with his fans) as a chill truth teller or (with his detractors) as a villain with an uncanny ability to demean his enemies.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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