as in controlled
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as in regulated
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
try to curb your curiosity when it comes to your neighbors' business
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Recent Examples of curbed
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Clark Corbin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Apr. 2026
Early changes curbed the power of the judiciary, weakened independent watchdogs, and rewrote election rules to favor the ruling party.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Remember those bills moving through the Georgia Legislature that would have protected consumers from rising energy costs from data center expansion or curbed the multimillion-dollar tax breaks that have turned Georgia into a veritable data center cabbage patch?
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Apr. 2026
That's up from a roughly $250 billion market during the Great Recession, as more stringent lending standards on traditional banks curbed their lending to mid-sized businesses.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
But after Tong said the hitters should be curbed, outfielder Tyrone Taylor fired back.
—Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The administration has cut encounters at the southwest border to a record low, curbed legal migration, and placed a record-high number of people in immigration detention.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
Flanked by faith leaders, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke to reporters Thursday, March 19, saying that hate against Jewish people is a serious problem that needs to be curbed because hateful rhetoric can lead to violence.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Crude oil surged as much as 29%, the biggest intraday move since April 2020, as more Gulf producers curbed production and Iran named the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as its new supreme leader.
—Nasteho Said, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The lack of sufficient post-conflict planning—about what would happen after Gaddafi’s regime was toppled—curbed enthusiasm for future collective security efforts in Syria and elsewhere.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Tunnery was diagnosed with glioblastoma and treated her pain with opioids that brought on severe side effects, curbed her appetite and led to a severe physical decline, Cronin and Watson said.
—Clark Corbin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Apr. 2026
Early changes curbed the power of the judiciary, weakened independent watchdogs, and rewrote election rules to favor the ruling party.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Remember those bills moving through the Georgia Legislature that would have protected consumers from rising energy costs from data center expansion or curbed the multimillion-dollar tax breaks that have turned Georgia into a veritable data center cabbage patch?
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Apr. 2026
That's up from a roughly $250 billion market during the Great Recession, as more stringent lending standards on traditional banks curbed their lending to mid-sized businesses.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
But after Tong said the hitters should be curbed, outfielder Tyrone Taylor fired back.
—Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The administration has cut encounters at the southwest border to a record low, curbed legal migration, and placed a record-high number of people in immigration detention.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
Flanked by faith leaders, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke to reporters Thursday, March 19, saying that hate against Jewish people is a serious problem that needs to be curbed because hateful rhetoric can lead to violence.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Crude oil surged as much as 29%, the biggest intraday move since April 2020, as more Gulf producers curbed production and Iran named the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as its new supreme leader.
—Nasteho Said, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curbed
Adjective
-
Too bad the script feels less controlled and more directionless when each of these characters go head to head with an increasing body count across several bloody incidents.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Once the legs are free, slow and controlled motions can help a person gradually reach firmer ground.—
Outside,
Outside,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Authorities regulated wrestling as a sport; this meant taxes, regulations, and safety laws.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Prediction markets are also more widely available than online betting apps, because they’re regulated differently.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
School is the crucible where raw vitality encounters the collective will to impose order and control but also to bring cultural richness to lives that might otherwise remain inhibited and crude.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Her last and only boyfriend, Tim, would have been too inhibited.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
According to prosecutors, Dunlap claimed his art collection contained works by Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh and Salvador Dali, among other famous artists.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The study got its start when co-author Brian Gootee, a geologist with the Arizona Geological Survey, noticed a resemblance between sand deposits downstream of the Grand Canyon and in the Bidahochi—both contained pink, rounded grains that seemed to have been transported by the same river.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In contrast, Ionic capitals, which are more restrained, currently grace the columns at the entrance of the White House.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Some had pushed for a slightly more restrained proposal that would have given Democrats the upper hand in nine of the 11 House seats.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, Parker Wotherspoon, Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar also missed Saturday’s game against Washington, which kept its faint playoff hopes alive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
That mix of nature and physical movement kept me grounded.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, the ruthless King Saran (Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor) has suppressed magic users and enacts a rule of terror, which Zelie hopes to end in order to reunite Orisha’s clans.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The Maduro regime, having stolen the July 2024 presidential election and suppressed the democratic opposition by force, triggered a new wave of international sanctions that choked off oil revenues and sent the bolívar into free fall.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Make sure to have all of your ingredients prepped, measured, and ready to go.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
-
His life was not measured in years, but in love, sacrifice, and purpose.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curbed. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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