curtail

verb

cur·​tail (ˌ)kər-ˈtāl 

curtailed; curtailing; curtails

transitive verb

: to make less by or as if by cutting off or away some part

curtail the power of the executive branch

curtail inflation

Some school activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.

curtailer

(ˌ)kər-ˈtā-lər 

noun

Synonyms

• abbreviate
• abridge
• cut back
• dock
• elide
• shorten
• syncopate
• truncate

Choose the Right Synonym for curtail

shorten, curtail, abbreviate, abridge, retrench mean to reduce in extent.

shorten implies reduction in length or duration.

shorten a speech

curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy.

ceremonies curtailed because of rain

abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part.

using an abbreviated title

abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result.

the abridged version of the novel

retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive.

declining business forced the company to retrench

Examples of curtail in a Sentence

The new laws are an effort to curtail illegal drug use.

School activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2023, 243 people were diagnosed with TB across San Diego County, a number that represents a surge after counts fell to 193 in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic mandated social distancing and temporarily curtailed congregation in public places. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024

As a student, her formal initiation in the arts was almost curtailed by the City College of New York’s regulations of the time, which restricted women to specific majors — art not being one of them. —Yahya Salem, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024

Telehealth medication abortions, though, could be curtailed by a pending case before the U.S. Supreme Court. —Hilary Fung, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024

The sporting spectacular is a notorious money pit, and climate change has curtailed the number of sites capable of hosting. —Hannah Schoenbaum, Quartz, 10 Apr. 2024

Police killings of Black Americans including Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have prompted protests and a racial reckoning that translated into hundreds of bills aimed at curtailing law enforcement powers and reshaping policing. —Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

President Joe Biden has defended Ukraine's position on any land grab, urged efforts to curtail Russian aggression and lobbied for another $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

While management has said podcasts will turn a profit this year, Spotify also fired thousands of employees and curtailed its investment in original audio programming. —Lucas Shaw, Fortune Europe, 3 Apr. 2024

Such a law also could end up curtailing the flexibility in work hours that many consider a perk. —Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from earlier curtal to dock an animal's tail, from curtal, noun, animal with a docked tail, from Middle French courtault — more at curtal

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

curtail

verb

cur·​tail (ˌ)kər-ˈtā(ə)l 

: to make less by or as if by cutting off part of

curtailer

-ˈtā-lər 

noun

curtailment

-ˈtāl-mənt

noun