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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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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Standardization can also reduce due diligence burdens.—
The Sorenson Impact Institute,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Higher temperatures may also reduce the sugar content of maple sap, meaning producers will need to collect and boil more sap to produce the same quantities of syrup.—
Nina Foster,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Israeli forces began military ground operations in Gaza, particularly the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in an effort to degrade the terror group's infrastructure, authorities said Thursday.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
20 Mar. 2025
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And even roofs that are still relatively young may begin to show signs of weakness — the sealant that holds asphalt shingles in place often begins to degrade after a decade and can fail when pummeled with high winds.—
Ron Lieber,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Remember, Trump kicked off his political career by claiming Obama wasn't born here, and reportedly decided to run for president only after Obama humiliated him to his face at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2011.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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In addition to the City of Hartford and Hartford School Board, the complaint named Tilda Santiago, a special education case manager who allegedly repeatedly bullied and harassed Ortiz by yelling and humiliating the teen in front of other students and teachers.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Seth Jones, president of the defense and security department of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says a trade war that punishes U.S. partners in the region threatens to weaken ties with Asian allies, possibly forcing them to reassess the reliability of U.S. security commitments.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2025
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The doctor added that recovery would best continue away from the hospital, where exposure to viruses risks weakening the Holy Father's condition.—
Danielle Wallace,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Influencers and consumers alike took to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to discredit the brand and show their support for competitors such as Olipop.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Roberts had been a judge for only about two years when he was nominated for the Supreme Court, so his judicial record was quite thin, and some Democrats and their allies hoped to point to his work as a lawyer to discredit him.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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When that was challenged, whether by a game developer subverting industry norms or a woman calling out stereotypical female characters, a core contingent of gamers saw it as political correctness run amok, Massanari wrote in her book.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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As the Department of Government Efficiency roars through agencies across government, its targets have included some of the organizations that Beijing worried about most, or actively sought to subvert.—
David E. Sanger,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Get okay with the idea that in the future, your past work will embarrass you.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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The Vance memes seem to contain an admission as well: that even some conservatives do not see him as essential to the current MAGA movement. Consider the fact that Democrats have long tried to embarrass Trump with memes and images of him as an infant, a Cheeto, and other forms.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This is the record business of half a century ago; demeaning slurs are tossed around.—
Ian Frazier,
The New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2025
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He is wearied but stays firm in the notion that his job isn’t to badger and demean the half of the country that disagrees with him.—
Ismail Muhammad,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cheapen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheapen. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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