as in shortening
to make less in extent or duration
curtailed the school day because of the stormy weather
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Recent Examples of curtailing
Instead of curtailing the spending spree, the City Council put a sales tax hike on the November 2024 ballot.
—
Mark Powell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
War has a way of curtailing imagination.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Over more than 50 years, each new presidential administration has reassessed the place of spaceflight among its priorities, either encouraging or curtailing NASA’s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface.
—Emily A. Margolis, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
The closing of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic and attacks on energy sites across the Gulf are curtailing supplies and driving up the prices of key global commodities.
—Robert Tuttle, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
The consumer protection agencies most equipped to fight fraud, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, whose budget was nearly halved, have seen massive funding and staff cuts, curtailing their ability to enforce rules and actively target scammers.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
In addition to thwarting complications, glues and netting can also abate bruising and swelling after facelift surgery, curtailing patients’ recovery.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
In total, over 20 key experts working on AXIS were removed from Goddard and from NASA entirely, significantly curtailing the team’s ability to execute.
—Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026
Still, Republican lawmakers appear likely to vote down measures curtailing presidential war powers this week.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Mark Powell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
War has a way of curtailing imagination.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Over more than 50 years, each new presidential administration has reassessed the place of spaceflight among its priorities, either encouraging or curtailing NASA’s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface.
—Emily A. Margolis, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
The closing of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic and attacks on energy sites across the Gulf are curtailing supplies and driving up the prices of key global commodities.
—Robert Tuttle, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
The consumer protection agencies most equipped to fight fraud, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, whose budget was nearly halved, have seen massive funding and staff cuts, curtailing their ability to enforce rules and actively target scammers.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
In addition to thwarting complications, glues and netting can also abate bruising and swelling after facelift surgery, curtailing patients’ recovery.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
In total, over 20 key experts working on AXIS were removed from Goddard and from NASA entirely, significantly curtailing the team’s ability to execute.
—Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026
Still, Republican lawmakers appear likely to vote down measures curtailing presidential war powers this week.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtailing
Verb
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Features of the proposal include new crossings to Bailey Fountain, shortening the crossing at Flatbush and Vanderbilt Avenues, creating an accessible path near Bailey Fountain and shifting the bike path north.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Orion entered the atmosphere on a steeper trajectory, shortening the heat shield’s exposure time to extreme heating.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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MacRumors thinks this could end up reducing the thickness of the iPhone’s display stack while improving brightness and minimizing power use.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Airhart ethos is focused on reducing the cognitive drain on the pilot.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curtailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtailing. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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