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 dilemma recalls Otto Preminger’s Whirlpool and Where the Sidewalk Ends, post-WWII films about personal probity but without the melodramatic hype that cheapened both.
—
Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
But hearing the prophecy in this context only serves to cheapen it.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 7 July 2024
Cost-cutting had cheapened the vehicle, and the two available naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines were tuned for efficiency rather than performance.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Otto is also suicidal — something A Man Called Otto never sufficiently dramatizes, cheapening the codger’s despair as the film prepares for the feel-good ending to come.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
But hearing the prophecy in this context only serves to cheapen it.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 7 July 2024
Cost-cutting had cheapened the vehicle, and the two available naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines were tuned for efficiency rather than performance.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Otto is also suicidal — something A Man Called Otto never sufficiently dramatizes, cheapening the codger’s despair as the film prepares for the feel-good ending to come.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cheapen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheapen
Verb
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Stay safe on wintry roads with these valuable winter driving tips from the NWS, and reduce the risk of accidents during challenging weather conditions.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Orange County Register,
4 Mar. 2025
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Other Ways To Prevent Wrinkles Most dermatologists agree that lifestyle changes are an effective way to reduce signs of skin aging.—
Carrie Madormo, RN,
Health,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The other reason is that our news ecosystem is rapidly degrading, particularly online.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
7 Mar. 2025
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Most microplastics are made on land, where larger plastic debris degrades into tinier and tinier pieces.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No, Trump Did Not ‘Bring Back Free Speech’ An August 2024 report by Columbia’s task force on antisemitism found that Jews and Israelis at Columbia were often ostracized and humiliated on campus.—
Solcyré Burga,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
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Committee Chairman James Comer will use the hearing to humiliate blue-city mayors and to please the White House and fire up his extremist MAGA base.—
Peter Cunningham,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But Dickens claims the opposite, and argues that the research purporting to discredit spelling has fallen out of date.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2025
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Incident brought ‘discredit to the Sheriff’s Office’ Sgt.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn, amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics and explosive action, actually gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2025
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Second, Trump has been able to subvert our system of checks and balances because so many, including congressional Republicans, fear his retribution.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And the All-Star game embarrassed everyone who has ever picked up a basketball.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2025
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Callers are encouraged to share details that range from embarrassing to criminal.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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You were supposed to be mild and shower them with compliments, rather than be demeaning.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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The meme appeared on the BlueSky and LinkedIn platforms, where users called the company out for its inappropriate, demeaning nature.—
Sheila Callaham,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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