scrimped; scrimping; scrimps
: to be frugal or stingy
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
The world-class training facility owes its existence to the dedication of a group of volunteers, who scrimped and saved for well over a decade to get their own curling space.
—
Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Absent better reverse mortgage options, this keeps retirees from spending a large share of their wealth, and means some are scrimping on their non-housing expenses.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
While administrations scrimped, the fleet aged.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Racing became a way of life, traveling the Midwest and scrimping together money for fuel and parts.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrimp
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.
Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Absent better reverse mortgage options, this keeps retirees from spending a large share of their wealth, and means some are scrimping on their non-housing expenses.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
While administrations scrimped, the fleet aged.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Racing became a way of life, traveling the Midwest and scrimping together money for fuel and parts.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrimp
Cite this Entry
“Scrimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrimp. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scrimp
verb1
: to make too small or short : skimp
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
