One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
Synonyms of sweeten in English:
sweeten
See definition of sweeten
verb
1‘sweeten the milk with a little sugar’
SYNONYMS
make sweet, add sugar to, sugar, sugar-coat, add honey to, add sweetener to
2‘he chewed coriander seeds to sweeten his breath’
SYNONYMS
freshen, refresh, fresh, purify, deodorize, perfume
3‘there is no way to sweeten the bad news’
SYNONYMS
soften, ease, alleviate, make agreeable, relieve, mitigate, make less painful, mellow, temper, cushion
embellish, embroider, dress up
4‘the dividend has been increased to sweeten shareholders’
SYNONYMS
mollify, placate, soothe, soften, soften up, mellow, pacify, appease, win over