BELT-TIGHTENING Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

belt-tightening

noun

Definition of belt-tightening

as in austerity

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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

Noun

There’d been the endless aftermath of the war, the austerity, the rationing, the gray suits, the drabness.

— Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026
Sánchez took to social media earlier this week to voice support for existing policies including national health insurance and a 40-hour workweek, warning that a right-wing government would introduce austerity measures and cuts to social services.

— Natalie Feary, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of austerity

Noun

Held without charge, al-Sakani says he was subjected to harsh conditions, including sleep deprivation, inadequate medical care and the withholding of medication.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
The feds on Thursday arrested the agent, Andrew Reyes, 30, of Brooklyn, after he was indicted on false statements and deprivation of rights charges.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of deprivation

Noun

The Supportive Comfort Wireless Shaping Bra gives you wire-free lift with no pinching or poking.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Bali Double-Support Wireless Bra The bra’s signature M-frame creates a sturdy structure that supports your chest sans underwire — thereby avoiding any digging, pinching, or poking throughout the day.

— Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of pinching

Noun

After a few parched years Arizona was bailed out by the federal government, which built a reservoir so the people of the Salt River Valley would never again experience privation.

— Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
The catastrophe was a reminder of not only the destructiveness of Israeli bombing, but also the depth of the continuing privation in Gaza today.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of privation

Noun

Poetry gets left behind by the exigency of character development or, in the movie’s self-defeating logic, because the art form doesn’t really matter and is only a lame excuse for people who won’t take responsibility and grow up.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of exigency

Noun

Law enforcement were asking people to avoid the area and allow emergency personnel to conduct their investigation safely.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Unreleased | Getty Images A spate of bomb threats against passenger flights has forced diversions, emergency landings and military escorts across European airspace this week, stoking fear among passengers and heaping pressure on airlines.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of emergency

Browse Nearby Words

belts up

belt-tightening

belt-tightenings

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“Belt-tightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belt-tightening. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of belt-tightening

noun

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