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
  • If anything, her day-to-day vibe is more Coldwater Creek chic than the minimalist austerity the luxury brand is known for.
    — Sam Reed, Glamour, 30 July 2026
  • But despite its already lean operations, Ikea didn’t join the AI-era rush to impose more austerity.
    — Claire Zillman, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Definition of austerity
Noun
  • There may also be benefits related to skin care, respiratory illness, sleep deprivation and even dementia.
    — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Bliss said the postpartum period was marked by sleep deprivation and the challenges of breastfeeding.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Definition of deprivation
Noun
  • Avoid the inevitable pinching and riding up by opting for a more sophisticated silhouette, like the Willit Tailored Linen Shorts.
    — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of pinching
Noun
  • These adjustments add to the fact that while blockades can impose privation, modern governments and their nationalist populations can accept a lot of suffering before considering major political concessions.
    — Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of privation
Noun
  • The player whose arrival in 2022 signaled the end of a five-year run of misery.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • For so long, many have believed that God is Spirit, yet, somehow, expelled us out of His presence into the vulnerability and misery of matter.
    — Mark Swinney, Christian Science Monitor, 31 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
  • In The Odyssey, Odysseus falls into a deep sleep on the deck of his ship when an emergency arises at sea.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that there would be an emergency road closure at the inbound Lawrence Avenue exit on the Kennedy (Interstate 90), citing the early morning concrete retention wall failure as the reason.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 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 7 Aug. 2026.

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