on the cheap

idiomatic phrase

: at minimum expense : cheaply
did the job on the cheap

Examples of on the cheap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Throngs of college students joined the overnight ride, the latest trend involving young Chinese traveling on the cheap. Peter Guo, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024 But the new device, from researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada, could help people harvest drinking water on the cheap. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2024 Any interest in dealing Reddick on the cheap, too? Want more Broncos news? Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2024 Read on for TVs, speakers, cameras, and more tech on the cheap. K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for on the cheap 

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of on the cheap was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near on the cheap

Cite this Entry

“On the cheap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20cheap. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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