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
California has a goal to enhance road safety, and lawmakers are interested in potentially curtailing dangerous vehicle sizes.
—
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
The trade group, which represents companies that make boats, marine engines, boating equipment and accessories, said its conversations with boaters indicate that most still plan to head out on the water this year, but in some cases, gas prices are curtailing their plans.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
The trade group, which represents companies that make boats, marine engines, boating equipment and accessories, said its conversations with boaters indicate that most still plan to head out on the water this year, but in some cases, gas prices are curtailing their plans.
—ABC News, 5 June 2026
The conflict has in effect closed the Strait of Hormuz, curtailing exports of oil and gas products, notably jet fuel, leading to dire warnings for the global airline industry.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
On Tuesday, amid conversations on expanding the College Football Playoff and curtailing rules in regard to governing athletics, Lane Kiffin became the center of attention once again.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
In an interview about his 2022 book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates said that curtailing consumption to eliminate carbon emissions is of limited value.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
In a country that bills itself as a beacon of free speech, educational institutions especially should not be curtailing it.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
The stock hit a new high before curtailing some of its gains.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
The trade group, which represents companies that make boats, marine engines, boating equipment and accessories, said its conversations with boaters indicate that most still plan to head out on the water this year, but in some cases, gas prices are curtailing their plans.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
The trade group, which represents companies that make boats, marine engines, boating equipment and accessories, said its conversations with boaters indicate that most still plan to head out on the water this year, but in some cases, gas prices are curtailing their plans.
—ABC News, 5 June 2026
The conflict has in effect closed the Strait of Hormuz, curtailing exports of oil and gas products, notably jet fuel, leading to dire warnings for the global airline industry.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
On Tuesday, amid conversations on expanding the College Football Playoff and curtailing rules in regard to governing athletics, Lane Kiffin became the center of attention once again.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
In an interview about his 2022 book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates said that curtailing consumption to eliminate carbon emissions is of limited value.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
In a country that bills itself as a beacon of free speech, educational institutions especially should not be curtailing it.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
The stock hit a new high before curtailing some of its gains.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtailing
Verb
-
Simison emphasized robust public-safety services, including shortening fire department response times, incorporating new technologies into policing and the advent of several large developments and transportation projects.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2026
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Many researchers have theorized that melting Ice Age glaciers likely helped passively shift the Altar Stone closer to southern England’s Salisbury Plain around 2500 BCE, shortening the transport distance for Stonehenge’s creators.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Verb
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This battery system will enable up to 12 hours of silent scientific operations powered entirely by batteries, reducing both emissions and underwater noise that can interfere with sensitive marine research.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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According to the researchers, the catalyst weakens excessive bonding between iron sites and hydroxyl intermediates, allowing the reaction to proceed more smoothly and reducing one of the major bottlenecks in zinc-air battery operation.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curtailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtailing. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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