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
  • This downturn in the local economy was made worse by decades of austerity measures and brain drain.
    — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of austerity
Noun
  • Chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of conditions like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
    — Mura Dominko, Martha Stewart, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Goodheart said in her testimony that sleep deprivation -- one of the major reasons Clancy opted for inpatient treatment -- could contribute to a manic episode.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 7 Aug. 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
  • But an agent may be harmed when its interests are thwarted, its autonomy denied or its existence ended without any pain or misery.
    — Andréa Morris, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Things get increasingly bleak, as the family dog’s heart medicine runs out and Jason has to put him out of his misery, and then — in doomsday prepper mode — carves up the body and puts it in the freezer just in case food gets dire.
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 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
  • But in gridlock emergencies, timely, urgent reports from people baptized in the traffic beat make a large difference.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • JumpSmart also includes a compass, thermometer, reflector strip, and emergency audible alarm that is perfect for hiking, camping, and off-roading.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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