belt-tightening

noun

Definition of belt-tighteningnext
as in austerity

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of belt-tightening Opponents argue the policy is shrinking the city’s restaurant workforce by forcing belt-tightening and putting establishments out of business. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 The budget gap needed unexpected belt-tightening and spending only on the essentials. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026 The package extended the belt-tightening path South Africa has been on since 2018, when President Cyril Ramaphosa took over a fiscally strained by ballooning budget shortfalls, rising budget shortfalls and a cascade of credit rating cuts. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026 Some industries are correcting after the hiring boom of the pandemic, but this comes as AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs drive belt-tightening and hiring freezes. — Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for belt-tightening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belt-tightening
  1. austerity
  2. deprivation
  3. pinching
  4. privation
  5. misery
  6. exigency
  7. emergency
Noun
  • Years of austerity that followed the 2008 financial crash mean economic growth – and household incomes – have largely stagnated since then.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The language of empowerment will have done the job that austerity could not do openly.
    — Sunny Patel, STAT, 17 July 2026
Definition of austerity
Noun
  • Dead maybe was the key word as sleep deprivation can be fatal.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
  • For someone with sleep deprivation, the best treatment would be rest, for instance.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Definition of deprivation
Noun
  • This pair has an identical strap design to Stewart’s style, made of a knit fabric to minimize uncomfortable rubbing and pinching.
    — Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 18 July 2026
  • The headband is flexible for a perfect fit, and the adjustable earcups have plush cushioning to prevent pinching.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of pinching
Noun
  • Yamal has spoken about being recognised on the street at 13, the privations of fame accrued before puberty.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Still, the mesh grids spreading across Haiti's countryside prove that the country's energy story may transcend the privation.
    — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of privation
Noun
  • Little overnight relief Exacerbating the misery will be the lack of cooling temperatures overnight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Smith Galer has much to say against the case for putting languages out of their misery, but her focus is on a point with which even the most unsentimental can surely sympathize.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • Potential finalists will be notified via email and will be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, License of Work and Release of Liability/Publicity within three (3) days of date of notification, or a shorter time if required by exigencies, or a runner-up may be selected.
    — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
  • The exigencies of the Revolution lead to promising more people representation.
    — KEN BURNS, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Definition of exigency
Noun
  • Strikes were reported in five districts of the capital, according to the state emergency services.
    — Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • The American Friends of Magen David Adom supports Israel’s emergency services system, according to the organization’s website.
    — Caroline Zimmerman July 17, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of emergency

Browse Nearby Words

belts up
belt-tightening
belt-tightenings
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Cite this Entry

“Belt-tightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belt-tightening. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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