scrimp

\ ˈskrimp

How to pronounce scrimp (audio)

\

scrimped; scrimping; scrimps

Definition of scrimp

transitive verb

1 : to be stingy in providing for

2 : to make too small, short, or scanty

intransitive verb

: to be frugal or stingy

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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 This remake of the cruise takes place on a paddleboard and doesn’t scrimp on the groaners. — Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times, "Theme park fans are re-creating rides at home, with tennis balls and pets as special effects," 29 Apr. 2020 Choosing a wand lighter makes life just a little bit easier, but don’t scrimp on quality. — The Editors, Field & Stream, "Three Lighters Perfect for Any Outdoors Situation," 14 Apr. 2020 At roughly 90 minutes, the film certainly doesn't scrimp on action -- plunging right into its carnage at a pretty frenetic pace. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'The Hunt' leverages the partisan divide as a hook to sell an exploitation throwback," 11 Mar. 2020 Issues raised by members of the committee included cautions to the administration not to scrimp on the building just to cut costs and the desire to provide space for programs that allow the public to interact with police. — Robert Higgs, cleveland, "Plan to build Cleveland police headquarters along Opportunity Corridor in Kinsman clears hurdle," 21 Jan. 2020 Slott said plenty of people who have scrimped and saved are upset about the changes that Congress made. — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Some retirees feeling less secure about tax rule changes in Secure Act," 15 Jan. 2020 People work hard, scrimp and save, and then some health problem wipes them out. — Jim Geraghty, National Review, "Inside the Mind of the Warren Voter," 23 Sep. 2019 The organization has had to scrimp, Coates Koebler said. — Jon Murray, The Denver Post, "Community Food Share fills hunger gap in Boulder County and Broomfield," 28 Oct. 2019 In the short term, anyway. Because technological advances often make things cheaper to produce—and, therefore, more appealing to customers, which in Nokia’s case are telecom operators—scrimping on investment is ultimately unwise. — Gwynn Guilford, Quartz, "Nokia is having one of the worst days in its history, thanks to 5G," 24 Oct. 2019

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

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Last Updated

25 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Scrimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrimp. Accessed 2 Jun. 2020.

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