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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
After growing the pixie cut back out into a bob, the Mad Men actress showed off her hair while rocking a lacy blue co-ord set in selfies posted to Instagram in March. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026 Higher-income Americans typically aren't the ones cutting back on groceries to afford their travels, for example. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
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 Both were from similar actions, where Paintsil tapped in a cut-back pass that nobody on Sporting’s back line anticipated. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
The cutbacks are going far beyond a friendly prod to boost NATO defense spending. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 What this usually means is an aggressive reduction in expenses; in the case of a college athletic department, that would likely mean the potential elimination of entire programs, staff positions, and a cutback on various budgets. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 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
  • Mitchell would have needed to shave two shots from his score.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Samsung has successively shaved a few millimeters off every year, taking a leap last year with the Z Fold 7.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • And because Preservé also allows an implant to be inserted above the muscle, recovery time can be shortened from an average of four to six weeks to a few days, while also retaining nipple sensation and muscle structure.
    — Emma Sandler, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Route 25 is adjusted to run on Aramingo, York and Frankford, and shortened to operate between Frankford Transit Center and Spring Garden.
    — Laura Fay, CBS News, 17 Aug. 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
  • Since it was designated the first national recreation area in 1964, hordes of visitors have cut Lake Mead’s glassy surface with jet skis and boats, carelessly dropping belongings that may now wash up on shore.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • First, prep your sandwich with any fillings, then place it into the cutter to cut and seal in one step.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of cut
Noun
  • Amid concerns of a further reduction in precipitation and runoff, the canal operator has already imposed multiple draft restrictions for larger Neopanamax vessels to limit the amount of freight carried through the channel.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • For others, a substitute would require redesigning the component or accepting a performance reduction.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduction
Verb
  • Southwestern Minnesota will see a few more clouds, and could get clipped by a few showers in the early hours.
    — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mastering the clipping economy Some of Ossoff’s newfound fans know him mostly from clips — one or two-minute-long videos that travel wide and far on social media platforms.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of clip
Noun
  • That added thermal control is especially important for larger ABS, ASA, nylon, and carbon-fiber prints, where stable chamber temperatures help reduce warping, shrinkage, and layer separation across the Max 4’s nearly 400mm build volume.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
  • With city blocks burned to the ground, a shrinkage of affordable housing, and a spike in homelessness, the New York of the late seventies was a city in distress.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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