as in shortens
to make less in extent or duration
curtailed the school day because of the stormy weather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 curtails
India’s neighbors are seeking additional fuel from New Delhi as the war in the Middle East curtails access to energy supplies from the Persian Gulf, giving Asia’s third-largest economy an opportunity to build goodwill across the region.
—
Swati Gupta, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The court's decision not only curtails a policy Trump has repeatedly credited with strengthening American leverage abroad, but also carries major financial and legal consequences.
—Nik Popli, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Think of this as the pessimistic, narrower option, where the greenhouse effect curtails the zone's inner edge and the loss of carbon dioxide from a planetary atmosphere marks its outer edge.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The Postal Service™ curtails delivery only after careful consideration, and only as a last resort.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 24 Jan. 2026
The connection of these celestial entities brightens our drive, but curtails our intuition.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 16 Jan. 2026
Trump formalized the policy in a sweeping executive order signed Wednesday that sharply curtails how defense contractors can use profits and compensate executives.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Such a reading of the law at the center of the case could provide Trump an opening -- along with other tariffs that have not been challenged in court -- to continue his global-trotting mission to reshape trade imbalances, even if the high court curtails his broad tariff power.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
Where To Stay in Martin County With a strict ban on buildings over four stories, the Treasure Coast curtails the kind of over development that can choke out some Florida beach towns.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Swati Gupta, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The court's decision not only curtails a policy Trump has repeatedly credited with strengthening American leverage abroad, but also carries major financial and legal consequences.
—Nik Popli, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Think of this as the pessimistic, narrower option, where the greenhouse effect curtails the zone's inner edge and the loss of carbon dioxide from a planetary atmosphere marks its outer edge.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The Postal Service™ curtails delivery only after careful consideration, and only as a last resort.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 24 Jan. 2026
The connection of these celestial entities brightens our drive, but curtails our intuition.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 16 Jan. 2026
Trump formalized the policy in a sweeping executive order signed Wednesday that sharply curtails how defense contractors can use profits and compensate executives.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Such a reading of the law at the center of the case could provide Trump an opening -- along with other tariffs that have not been challenged in court -- to continue his global-trotting mission to reshape trade imbalances, even if the high court curtails his broad tariff power.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
Where To Stay in Martin County With a strict ban on buildings over four stories, the Treasure Coast curtails the kind of over development that can choke out some Florida beach towns.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtails
shortens
Verb
-
All this interconnectivity shortens leads times, allowing for quicker iterations and faster trend response.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
-
Same-day settlement shortens that window to just a few hours.—
Sharat Priya,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curtails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtails. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
