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Synonyms

sweetening

American  
[sweet-n-ing, sweet-ning] / ˈswit n ɪŋ, ˈswit nɪŋ /

noun

  1. something that sweetens food, beverages, etc., as sugar, saccharine, etc.

  2. the process of causing something to be or become sweet.

sweetening British  
/ ˈswiːtənɪŋ /

noun

  1. something that sweetens

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sweetening

First recorded in 1585–95; sweeten + -ing 1

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.

Paramount, which had initially bid $108 billion for the entire company, continued to circle, launching a hostile tender offer aimed directly at shareholders and continually sweetening the terms of its bid.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

For PSUS’s do-over listing, Ackman is sweetening the deal by giving those who participate in the fund IPO free shares in Pershing Square.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

“They’re sweetening the pot,” Paul Hardart, a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, said of the Ellison family.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025

“We are definitely looking to use the whole tool kit of available sweetening options.”

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2025

“I—” “You’re making sure I turn up to the game this afternoon, aren’t you? You’re sweetening me up.”

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

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.