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
And such a misapplication cheapens it and robs it of its spiritual beauty and impact.
—
James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
-
Spirulina helps eliminate heavy metal build-up in the body, for instance; ginger and cumin reduce bloating; lecithin and gingko can improve memory.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Statistically, the drug reduced the risk of death by 60% compared with chemotherapy.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Damaged pans may be harder to use safely and may continue degrading with heat, cleaning and metal utensils.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
Years of degrading the Star Wars legacy with terrible, unwatchable streaming series and the disappointing end of the previous trilogy have taken their toll.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Linda Hyde, a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards member since 2014, boarded her Southwest flight on May 21 at Miami International Airport humiliated and angry.—
Ella Moore
Updated May 29,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Strength is not the capacity to humiliate someone with less power.—
Marc Brackett,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The Reserve Bank of Australia will likely focus on the strength of private demand before factoring in the conflict, alongside inflation risks stemming from weak productivity and rising unit labor costs, according to Stenner, who expects household consumption to weaken in the second quarter.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
Critics counter that scarcity alone does not guarantee value if investor demand weakens.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
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After the war, his goalscoring statistics were deleted and his achievements were discredited, with the Polish press labelling him as mentally unstable and an alcoholic.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Hit men are dispatched, homicide takes hold, and a smear campaign is hatched to discredit Zaminsky as faking signals to keep his SETI gig.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In a blistering dissent, the court’s Democratic justices said the ruling opened the door to allowing Louisiana lawmakers to subvert the will of voters.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Some fans weighed in on his outfit choice on social media, sparking conversations about if the actor might have embarrassed his wife.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Racists dismissed them as lesser beings, demeaned them and made life hard for all people of color — whites-only facilities and hard jobs.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
-
Inspectors documented staff using demeaning language, displaying extremist imagery, and engaging in conduct that violated the Bureau’s own standards.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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