throttle back
verb
throttled back; throttling back; throttles back
: to reduce the amount of fuel flowing to an engine by adjusting the throttle
He throttled back to 45 mph.
—sometimes used figuratively with respect to intensityYou need to throttle back your anger.
Examples of throttle back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the thermal side, flat-wire coils and cooling fins reduce energy losses and help the motor hold its peak output longer on brutal climbs, rather than quietly throttling back when things get hot.
—
Omar Kardoudi
april 10, New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
Despite initial concern that Trump might throttle back federal defense contracts toward Connecticut, Connecticut’s defense and aerospace sector — anchored by companies like Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Electric Boat — is thriving under his stewardship, and not by coincidence.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
The compressor handles the energy-intensive freezing step during peak solar hours, when panels would otherwise throttle back or dump excess power.
—Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Maritime trade is crawling at Georgia’s ports, but the state authority that operates the nation’s third-busiest cargo terminals isn’t throttling back its expansion efforts.
—Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Larkin found his place on the grid, then throttled back.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
But Winston never let a mistake throttle back his aggression.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
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Omar Kardoudi
april 10, New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
Despite initial concern that Trump might throttle back federal defense contracts toward Connecticut, Connecticut’s defense and aerospace sector — anchored by companies like Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Electric Boat — is thriving under his stewardship, and not by coincidence.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
The compressor handles the energy-intensive freezing step during peak solar hours, when panels would otherwise throttle back or dump excess power.
—Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Maritime trade is crawling at Georgia’s ports, but the state authority that operates the nation’s third-busiest cargo terminals isn’t throttling back its expansion efforts.
—Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Larkin found his place on the grid, then throttled back.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
But Winston never let a mistake throttle back his aggression.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Throttle back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throttle%20back. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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