sweetened; sweetening
ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈswēt-niŋ
1
: to make sweet
2
: to soften the mood or attitude of
3
: to make less painful or trying
4
: to free from a harmful or undesirable quality or substance
especially
: to remove sulfur compounds from
sweeten natural gas
5
: to make more valuable or attractive
sweeten the deal
: such as
a
: to increase (a pot not won on the previous deal) by anteing prior to another deal
b
: to place additional securities as collateral for (a loan)
: to become sweet
Examples of sweeten in a Sentence
He sweetened his cereal a little.
He sweetened the deal with a large signing bonus.
Recent Examples on the Web
The governor’s signing of legislation generously sweetening pension benefits for Chicago police and firefighters hired after 2010 was perhaps the worst decision he’s made in his seven years in office.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
Or blend sweetened condensed with evaporated for extra lushness.
—Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Sherry Epley/Getty Images Sucralose is found in certain sugar free sodas, sugar free energy drinks and sugar free protein/energy bars, as well as in many packets used to sweeten tea and coffee.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Ellison’s offer, tweaked and sweetened several times, ultimately carried the day.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweeten
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
Or blend sweetened condensed with evaporated for extra lushness.
—Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Sherry Epley/Getty Images Sucralose is found in certain sugar free sodas, sugar free energy drinks and sugar free protein/energy bars, as well as in many packets used to sweeten tea and coffee.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Ellison’s offer, tweaked and sweetened several times, ultimately carried the day.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweeten
Cite this Entry
“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.
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