cutback

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noun cut·back \ ˈkət-ˌbak \

Definition of cutback

1 :something cut back

2 :reduction

a cutback in funding

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Recent Examples of cutback from the Web

The last came on a cutback move that was as sweet as a box of Skittles manufactured here at the Wrigley candy company plant on the north edge of town.

— rick armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, "JaQuan Buchanan helps West Aurora roll past Yorkville in season opener," 26 Aug. 2017
HT | @afcbournemouth 0-0 #watfordfc Gray turns over Richarlison's cutback right at the death.

— SI.com, "Bournemouth 0-2 Watford: Etienne Capoue Seals the Deal as Watford Win From Late Goals," 19 Aug. 2017
Federal workers face serious cutbacks under budget proposals advanced by President Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans.

— joe davidson | columnist, Washington Post, "Top federal union ousts second-highest leader during a critical time for feds," 18 Aug. 2017
LAS VEGAS (AP) — U.S. water managers say there will be no water cutbacks in 2018 for millions of residents and farmers served by the Lake Mead reservoir on the Colorado River because of heavy snowfall last winter.

— ken ritter, The Seattle Times, "US: ‘Zero’ chance of Colorado River water shortage in 2018," 15 Aug. 2017
Nam Cheong’s debt woes reflect widening cracks in the region’s offshore and marine services industry, triggered by a slump in oil prices over the past three years and a cutback in spending on exploration.

— david yong, Bloomberg.com, "Nam Cheong to Restructure in Blow to Singapore Bond Market," 20 July 2017
From there the mercurial form of Gale Sayers flows across the defense in a series of blinding cutbacks.

— tim layden, SI.com, "The MMQB All-Time Draft: The Ultimate Football Fantasy," 19 July 2017
The economy shrank 0.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter amid lower oil output and cutbacks in spending to shore up public finances.

— ahmed feteha, Bloomberg.com, "Saudi Deflation Persists as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth," 19 July 2017
The 1,200-student district is one of Lake County's more financially troubled districts, though years of cutbacks and cost controls have moved the district toward the black.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Lake County state senator pushes for passage of new school funding formula," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cutback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of cutback

1897

cut back

verb

Definition of cut back

transitive verb

:to shorten by cutting :prune

intransitive verb

1 :to interrupt the sequence of a plot (as of a movie) by introducing events prior to those last presented

2 :cut down

cut back on sugar

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Examples of cut back in a Sentence

we need to cut back the bushes a bit so that the house number is visible from the street
cut back the meeting so everyone could leave early for the long weekend