sweetener
Americannoun
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something that sweetens, as sugar or a low-calorie synthetic product used instead of sugar.
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an added inducement.
such sweeteners as tax breaks and low-cost loans.
noun
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a sweetening agent, esp one that does not contain sugar
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informal a bribe
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informal a financial inducement
Etymology
Origin of sweetener
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Diet Coke? Yeah, it tastes terrible. That artificial sweetener and very distinct flavor profile is just not something I’ve ever liked.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Adobe shareholders received a sweetener late Tuesday as the company’s board of directors authorized a $25 billion stock buyback program.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
So after intensive talks over the Christmas period, a deal has been thrashed out, which seems to chiefly revolve around the sweetener of contract reform.
From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026
It also has a subtle sweetness, without any added sweetener, with notes of dark chocolate.
From Salon • Nov. 6, 2025
Mom pours milk into her mug, then opens a packet of sweetener and sprinkles it in.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.