cut back 1 of 3

verb

Definition of cut backnext
1
as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument we need to cut back the bushes a bit so that the house number is visible from the street

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shorten
to make less in extent or duration cut back the meeting so everyone could leave early for the long weekend

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cut-back

2 of 3

adjective

as in curtailed

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Dissimilar Words

cutback

3 of 3

noun

as in curtailment

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Dissimilar Words

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 cut back
Verb
The episode cuts back and forth between John’s tense interview and his upbringing, revealing how John was conditioned to be fearless from a young age. — Matt Minton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 Stern, 72, who has been a part of the SiriusXM family for more than two decades, has been slowly cutting back his on-air presence over the past few decade-and-a-half. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Back-to-back Javonte Williams runs got the offense to the 20-yard line, including the second one going for 15 yards after a cut-back to the left side. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026 The Vikings want to base out of the wide zone, where offensive linemen fire off the ball in tandem and running backs find clear cut-back lanes. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 12 June 2026
Noun
The entertainment industry, one of the city’s defining economic engines, has slowed due to production cutbacks and broader changes in Hollywood. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 31 May 2026 The cutbacks are going far beyond a friendly prod to boost NATO defense spending. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cut back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut back
  1. shave
  2. shorten
  3. abbreviated
  4. curtailment
  5. cut
  6. reduction
  7. clip
  8. shrinkage
Verb
  • People with very hairy chests might need enough hair shaved off to allow the pad to stick.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Even in southern locations, more than 40 minutes is expected to be shaved off daytime, according to AccuWeather.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • This can shorten the distance between a business requirement and an implementation, while leaving teams more time for design, integration and product decisions.
    — Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That arrangement shortens the distance that signals need to travel between processing components.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of shorten
Adjective
  • In recent years, shorts have been getting smaller, shorter, more abbreviated.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 22 May 2026
  • Tessa Francis fired an abbreviated no-hitter with eight strikeouts, while Ashley Mortensen went 3-for-4 as Marblehead routed Winthrop 12-0 in five innings in the Northeastern Conference.
    — Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Definition of abbreviated
Noun
  • Such environmental waivers are not arbitrary decisions but legal mechanisms, ordered by local authorities, to prevent grid instability, for example when loss of wind generation would be exacerbated by curtailment of thermal plants.
    — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • This can reduce the strain on the electric grid and help prevent the need for involuntary power curtailment or power brownouts, Holran notes.
    — Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Definition of curtailment
Verb
  • North Carolina Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives cut all ties with one of their candidates running for the state legislature after her past social media posts about violence against Republicans came to light.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Krohn put in new sprinklers and fire-safety systems after his last renters moved out a few years ago, then cut a hole between the second and third floors, allowing more light and air to filter through what is now a unified owner’s duplex.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut
Noun
  • Budget static-cling options will not hit those numbers, but even a modest reduction helps when your AC is already working overtime.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Parts and designs were standardized for the Phase II plants, which are 50 MW and on track for a more than 30% reduction in construction time.
    — Pippa Stevens, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of reduction
Verb
  • Isolating Suzuki’s line-breaking passes demonstrates a tendency to clip the ball out towards the left wing.
    — Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • His short-form video content and public appearances produced a plethora of footage that could easily be clipped, repurposed and remixed, into preexisting memes and trending audios.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of clip
Noun
  • The shrinkage could be even more than his team is estimating based on measurements from NASA's Messenger spacecraft in the 2010s.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Debris from asteroid and comet impacts has obscured evidence of the planet's shrinkage.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of shrinkage

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Cite this Entry

“Cut back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20back. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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