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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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
With a decrease in revenue, some or all of these services will be cut back. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 Plenty of people are trying to cut back Awareness is already turning into action. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 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
  • SpaceX wanted Ship to complete about six orbits and splash down off the coast of Chile 9 hours and 50 minutes after launch, but mission controllers decided to shave nearly seven hours off that flight time.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Especially right now, since Amazon just shaved 22% off for an early Prime Big Deal Day treat.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • Repeatable return could help Exobiosphere shorten experimental cycles and advance promising findings toward practical applications.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Potentially lifesaving and cost-saving decisions to shorten courses, redistribute staff, streamline, or expand resources could come from quantified inputs, in conjunction with prior experience.
    — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 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
  • For decades, the European Union has led the world in implementing policies designed to cut emissions, creating the world’s most important price on carbon and crafting the rules of the road for a wide range of regulatory efforts.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Staff cut raw chicken and then proceeded to cut lamb without washing, rinsing and sanitizing cutting boards and prep tables.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut
Noun
  • Twin Cities Marathon reported similar information, though without detailed analysis of risk reduction methods.
    — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Staff reductions are expected to be brutal, and with so many duplicative roles across HBO Max and Paramount+, many talented executives will lose their jobs.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduction
Verb
  • The sequence stylistically excises itself from the episode as though clipping it, anticipating its excision from the show when uploaded to a video-sharing platform.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • These hairs, including a lock clipped at his deathbed, were in a packet provided by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, and had not previously been available for analysis.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of clip
Noun
  • Use cool water to avoid shrinkage, skip the fabric softener, and use a small amount of mild detergent to avoid detergent residue from lurking on the fabric after washing.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Curly and coily hair, for example, can appear to grow more slowly because of shrinkage and may also be more prone to breakage.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of shrinkage

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cut back
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Cite this Entry

“Cut back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20back. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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