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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
as in curtailed
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in curtailment
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of cut-back
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
But all of this is at risk with federal cutbacks in NIH and NSF funding.
—Alan M. Leventhal, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
Md Published, Verywell Health, 28 June 2025
To compensate, companies are cutting back on the cost of satellites and launching more of them at faster rates, thus creating a feedback loop as the cheaper satellites break up more easily and add to the problem.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut-back
Adjective
Related Stories Confronted with a question about how TV industry cost reductions, other spending cutbacks and layoffs are affecting their work, the execs shared insight into the challenges but also opportunities.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
But all of this is at risk with federal cutbacks in NIH and NSF funding.
—Alan M. Leventhal, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
Noun
Others, however, may be strongly advised to cut back immediately, including people with:
Replacing salt with salt substitutes can significantly reduce your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and chronic kidney disease.
—Md Published, Verywell Health, 28 June 2025
To compensate, companies are cutting back on the cost of satellites and launching more of them at faster rates, thus creating a feedback loop as the cheaper satellites break up more easily and add to the problem.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut-back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut-back
Verb
-
The index dipped only slightly, but that nonetheless shaved off some gains from what could have been a higher high.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
-
This was in the days when only lunatics or scary white punks had shaved heads.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
After the acquisition, Nordstrom pushed to expand the service yet to contain costs, instituted a $25 at-home try-on fee and shortened the return window, negatively impacting what male customers had come to expect.—
Jennifer J. Fondrevay,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The canal was hand-dug by enslaved people in the 1820s to shorten the route to the timber mill in Darien.—
Jordan Charbonneau,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Vallas’ insistence on elevating the payouts to survivors of police violence and the criminal justice reform measures aimed at the curtailment of civil rights abuses to a greater level of concern than the police abuses of power that our city is unfortunately known for is nothing short of shameful.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
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Sending that power to eastern China instead of wasting it would help State Grid meet Xi’s promise to shrink curtailment to less than 5 percent in all regions by 2020.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
10 Jan. 2019
Verb
-
The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
The latest setback was the Senate parliamentarian striking down several provisions of the bill that were designed to cut spending.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Tampa Bay’s first two Cup Final runs in that stretch came in abbreviated seasons.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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But with 10 games left in the season, this new chapter has a chance to be more abbreviated than its potential.—
Danny Emerman,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The most dramatic reduction came for the Honda CR-V, as the vehicle’s hood, mirrors and A-pillars all obstructed a greater portion of the driver’s view over time.—
Tanya Mohn,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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The move could result in layoffs and program reductions across several of its schools, the university said in an announcement.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Verb
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An eastbound tractor-trailer then clipped the blade, Allman said.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
2 July 2025
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Well the bracket that is attached to the doorframe had the screws clipped short and then pushed back into the frame.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
That's the abridged version of the tricky nature of prosecuting a murder case without a body.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2023
-
On Friday, Burrows, R-Lubbock, made public his request to Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee for an abridged video from a school hallway camera to be released.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
11 July 2022
Cite this Entry
“Cut-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut-back. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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