1
: something cut back
2
: reduction
a cutback in funding
cut back; cutting back; cuts back
: to shorten by cutting : prune
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
Examples of cutback in a Sentence
Verb
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Alan M. Leventhal, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
Without considerable cutbacks in basin-wide water consumption, fish populations could face dire consequences for at least one month of the irrigation season, scientists warned in the study, published Friday in Nature Sustainability.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 20 June 2025
Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
And although his wife also works, her job has cut back her working hours at times, which has also affected the couple’s ability to pay bills to keep their family of 10 afloat.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutback
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Noun
But all of this is at risk with federal cutbacks in NIH and NSF funding.
—Alan M. Leventhal, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
Without considerable cutbacks in basin-wide water consumption, fish populations could face dire consequences for at least one month of the irrigation season, scientists warned in the study, published Friday in Nature Sustainability.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 20 June 2025
Verb
But why veer toward meat sandwiches when many health-conscious people are cutting back.
—Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
And although his wife also works, her job has cut back her working hours at times, which has also affected the couple’s ability to pay bills to keep their family of 10 afloat.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutback
Cite this Entry
“Cutback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutback. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cutback
1 of 2 noun
cut·back
ˈkət-ˌbak 
: an act or instance of cutting something back
cut back
2 of 2 verbˈkət-ˈbak
1
2
: to reduce something in amount
cut back on smoking
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