scrimp

verb

scrimped; scrimping; scrimps

transitive verb

1
: to be stingy in providing for
2
: to make too small, short, or scanty

intransitive verb

: to be frugal or stingy
scrimpy adjective

Examples of scrimp in a Sentence

They scrimped and saved for their big vacation. had to scrimp and save for years in order to be able to afford a house
Recent Examples on the Web With housing prices falling and stocks prices limping along, even middle-class families are scrimping rather than spending. Dake Kang and Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Choose The Wrong Sized Rug A good rug rarely comes cheap, so many people scrimp by buying one that’s too small for the room. Amanda Lauren, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The country also fell into a technical recession, with its economy contracting for a second straight quarter in October-December, as consumers scrimped to make up for higher prices. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2024 Besides the savings at quarterback with Purdy, the Niners have had to scrimp at other places with the offensive line being the main spot. Josh Dubow, Twin Cities, 2 Feb. 2024 Estancia Cristina Best for: isolation Accessed via a catamaran journey across an icy lake in the majestic Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Estancia Cristina immerses guests in the wilderness of Patagonia without scrimping on luxury. Sarah Marshall, Travel, 23 Jan. 2024 But in some cases, aid packages may fall short, leaving students to scrimp on basics like food and housing. The New York Times, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024 Many point out that retailers have been happy to scrimp on labor costs by replacing checkout employees with self-service machines without adequately staffing other areas to protect their products. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 4 Jan. 2024 Diehards suspect that cost savings might also lead to scrimping on maintenance and lane conditioning, the thin layer of oil that must be applied religiously to help with precise throws. David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrimp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish skrympa to shrink, Middle Low German schrempen to contract — more at shrimp

First Known Use

circa 1691, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrimp was circa 1691

Dictionary Entries Near scrimp

Cite this Entry

“Scrimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrimp. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scrimp

verb
1
: to make too small or short : skimp
2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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