curtail

verb

cur·​tail (ˌ)kər-ˈtāl How to pronounce curtail (audio)
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 noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s how the Stanford baseball player — whose athletic aspirations were curtailed by a shoulder injury junior year — ended up in investing. Stav Ziv, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025 He was not required to take any drug tests and his access to players was not curtailed, the family’s attorney added. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 15 Oct. 2025 The passage of the referendums, whether both are approved or just one, will determine if the program reaches solvency, continues to limp along or must be significantly curtailed. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025 Decades of conservation action have mainly focused on protecting nesting females and their eggs and curtailing trade and the unsustainable harvest of turtles and their eggs. Nell Lewis, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for curtail

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of curtail was in 1580

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtail. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

curtail

verb
cur·​tail (ˌ)kər-ˈtā(ə)l How to pronounce curtail (audio)
: to make less by or as if by cutting off part of
curtailer noun
curtailment
-ˈtāl-mənt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on curtail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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