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.
“The U.S. administration has been more willing to take ownership stakes in other companies, and if the equity sweetener is generous enough, they may take the bait on this one as well,” writes D.A.
From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025
I recommend enjoying it with a splash or two of your favorite creamer or sweetener.
From Salon • Nov. 6, 2025
Researchers reporting in Advanced Healthcare Materials have found that stevioside, a natural sweetener extracted from the Stevia plant, can help improve how well the drug is absorbed through the skin.
From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2025
It is more difficult to judge whether a permanent abolition would have the same long-term impact on prices as the short-term sweetener of a stamp duty holiday.
From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025
Since corn sweetener was now so cheap, why not get people to pay just a few pennies more for a bigger bottle?
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
