sweeten up

phrasal verb

sweetened up; sweetening up; sweetens up
informal
: to be very nice to (someone) in order to get something
He's been trying to sweeten his mother up so she'll lend him the car.

Examples of sweeten up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Venus enters Sagittarius that same day, sweetening up your 10th house of authority, career and public persona. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024 This pretty purple drink had a string hibiscus flavor that was sweetened up by fresh lemon juice, topped with a violet orchid. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2024 The Girl Scouts and IHOP are sweetening up the month of March. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 These pastel desserts will sweeten up any Easter celebration. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024 And just in time to sweeten up the winter season, the latest look is taking over—meet cherry mocha. Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2024 Kim Kardashian is ready to sweeten up your V-Day look with her sexiest, most erotic — and possibly her yummiest — design yet. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024 To sweeten up the meal, try adding a honey drizzle to one of our favorite cornbread recipes. Julia Levy, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2023 Chocolate morsels and brown sugar have a way of sweetening up any recipe. Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023

Dictionary Entries Near sweeten up

Cite this Entry

“Sweeten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten%20up. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!