1
as in reduces
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 degrades
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
a politician who would cheapen herself by caving in to lobbyists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in humiliates
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 cheapens
And such a misapplication cheapens it and robs it of its spiritual beauty and impact.
—
James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
In practice this approach only cheapens the form.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
And perhaps worst of all, inflating every slight into oppression cheapens true injustice.
—Jonathan Alpert, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
In practice this approach only cheapens the form.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
And perhaps worst of all, inflating every slight into oppression cheapens true injustice.
—Jonathan Alpert, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapens
Verb
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This ceiling reduces the effective tax benefit from 37% to 35%.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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This approach reduces the chance of a single point of failure bringing down an entire system and ensures appropriate AI boundaries that keep human intelligence at the center of business decisions that matter.—
Anita Beveridge-Raffo,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Constantly using more fertilizer than crops require degrades the soil’s natural microbiome, making soil less productive over time, which requires farmers to use more fertilizer to compensate.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
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When asked to comment, Apple pointed to previous statements, saying that the DMA discourages innovation, weakens privacy protections, delays or degrades product launches and increases security risks.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Later that season, Eric humiliates Bill in front of their Pierpoint colleagues by insulting his work quality and Bill dies from brain cancer.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Thecla humiliates him by ripping his robe and tearing the wreath off his head.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The exit of thousands of DOJ lawyers weakens law enforcement for many years to come, former DOJ lawyers told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Abbott contends the policy weakens statewide coordination with federal authorities.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The praiseworthyness of having both sides of the debate evaporates when the host actively discredits the expert and reflexively enhances the legitimacy of the conspiracy theorist.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
1 Dec. 2025
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Yet despite its popularity, research discredits this long-standing belief.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His relationship with his Jewish neighbors, the Brodskys, grows closer as Nazi power corrupts France.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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As Jay Jonah Atterbury, one of a handful of new characters on the fourth season of Industry, Kal Penn weaponizes and corrupts the stoner quirks viewers may recognize from his years playing Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar films.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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But the stunt goes south as Wooley turns out to be an unabashed bigot who embarrasses the show and gets scolded by the host.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Most frustratingly, the secret traitor demeans us, the audience.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
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That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cheapens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapens. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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