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
Relevance
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
Janhavi Munde, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Officials with the firefighters union said the closing of fire companies and cutbacks on staff have been a problem for decades.
—Holly Ramer, Fortune, 15 July 2025
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
New blood pressure guidelines say cut back on these two things.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut-back
Adjective
Legislative leaders expect to call a special session in early fall to decide how much of those dollars and other state resources should be used to offset cutbacks in federal aid.
—Janhavi Munde, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Officials with the firefighters union said the closing of fire companies and cutbacks on staff have been a problem for decades.
—Holly Ramer, Fortune, 15 July 2025
Noun
For many Americans, cutting back on dining out is one of the first signs of financial pressure—especially among lower- and middle-income households.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
New blood pressure guidelines say cut back on these two things.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut-back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut-back
Verb
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Bypassing the extensive zoning and civil engineering foundational work required for new structures can shave off months, if not years, from the overall project timeline.—
Dr. Dick Bridy,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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There is no law against eating, reading, adjusting the radio or shaving your body while driving.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump praised Bisignano’s efforts to improve Social Security services by asserting that the agency has shortened call wait times, reduced the disability claims backlog and promoted seniors’ online account access.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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As many people well know, using screens at night delays bedtime, shortens sleep duration, and worsens sleep quality; phones can disrupt rest just by being in the same room, Lauren Hale, a professor studying sleep at Stony Brook Medicine, told me.—
Rheana Murray,
The Atlantic,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The curtailment of academic freedom, the deportation of foreign students, the banning of protests: all of this is being done under the pretext of protecting Jews, who alone are entitled to protections that other groups apparently don’t merit.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
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This will also necessarily result in curtailment of renewable production under some conditions, lowering the EROI of these renewable sources.—
John Timmer,
Ars Technica,
21 May 2024
Verb
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Mary and her friend, Amelia, planted a White Lady Banks rose cutting near the back patio of the Cochise boarding house, where the couple lived.—
Olivia Rose,
AZCentral.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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But analysis by the Congressional Budget Office shows that raising the age to 69 - up from the current 67 - could cut lifetime benefits by up to 13 percent for anyone born after 1971.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Key Takeaways Small caps lead weekly gains, Russell 2000 jumps 3.5% Jobs report shows strength, but private sector lags behind Markets calm despite tariff uncertainty and Elon Musk drama Despite the abbreviated trading week, stocks posted decent gains.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Tampa Bay’s first two Cup Final runs in that stretch came in abbreviated seasons.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The long-term market rates continued to surge upwards, bolting higher with each rate reduction.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Its acting Chief Financial Officer, John Arnold, said the school was planning a budget reduction, layoffs, administrative centralization and a reset of athletics spending.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At a key point in the novel, Smith recalls briefly holding on to a newspaper clipping that proved that an enemy of the regime had not actually committed the crime he had been accused of.—
Laura Beers,
The Conversation,
20 Aug. 2025
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But the acceptance speeches were also engaging enough to be clipped within the Primetime Emmys telecast.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That's the abridged version of the tricky nature of prosecuting a murder case without a body.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2023
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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 31 Aug. 2025.
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