as in ungenerosity
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1
as in shaving
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 shortening
to make less in extent or duration
cut back the meeting so everyone could leave early for the long weekend
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Recent Examples of cutting back
Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 1 June 2026
This is done by cutting back the growing tip of the trunk (called the central leader) during the first winter after planting and selectively removing side branches.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
With chatbots like Claude around, more companies are cutting back on internships.
—Joshua Brustein, Bloomberg, 29 May 2026
So can cutting back on humidity within crawl spaces, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements.
—Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 29 May 2026
Another way cities are cutting back on pavement is by dropping regulations that require a minimum number of parking spaces for new residential or commercial buildings.
—Aya Diab, Fortune, 23 May 2026
High-pressure roles are filled with many uncontrollable factors, and cutting back on self-care is often the result.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Ariel is not the only institution cutting back on its Sphere exposure.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 15 May 2026
An April Numerator survey of car owners found 93% said gas prices rose in their area last month, and 72% reported cutting back on other spending to cover increases at the pump.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Verb
With inflation and rising costs, many people are cutting back on their spending.
—Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 1 June 2026
This is done by cutting back the growing tip of the trunk (called the central leader) during the first winter after planting and selectively removing side branches.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
With chatbots like Claude around, more companies are cutting back on internships.
—Joshua Brustein, Bloomberg, 29 May 2026
So can cutting back on humidity within crawl spaces, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements.
—Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 29 May 2026
Another way cities are cutting back on pavement is by dropping regulations that require a minimum number of parking spaces for new residential or commercial buildings.
—Aya Diab, Fortune, 23 May 2026
High-pressure roles are filled with many uncontrollable factors, and cutting back on self-care is often the result.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Ariel is not the only institution cutting back on its Sphere exposure.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 15 May 2026
An April Numerator survey of car owners found 93% said gas prices rose in their area last month, and 72% reported cutting back on other spending to cover increases at the pump.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting back
Noun
-
What Warren fails to recognize is that the formula of progress that dictates these measures also dictates that they will someday be regarded as the ungenerosity of a primitive people.—
Greg Weiner,
National Review,
26 Sep. 2019
Verb
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Fairley also admitted Thursday to placing wagers and recruiting and bribing college basketball players to underperform in games in a separate NCAA point-shaving case brought by federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
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The people who stand to gain the most from this record-setting refresh rate are high-level competitors with PCs that can push extremely high frame rates, for whom shaving down the smallest fractions of latency can make a real difference.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 May 2026
Verb
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The theory is that a flat organization boosts agility by shortening decision chains and putting leaders closer to frontline employees and the customer experience.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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Companies shortening depreciation schedules may be signaling conservatism and discipline.—
Brian Anderson,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
-
The adjectives used to describe vampire Lucy suggest monstrous selfishness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Or are the Red Sox better off cutting their losses, selling their pending free agents and looking ahead to 2027?—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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For fiscal year 2026, the administration proposed cutting NOAA’s budget by roughly 25 percent and eliminating the agency's research arm, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the division that houses much of its climate work.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The Chicago White Sox lost slugger Munetaka Murakami for most of Friday’s game against the Detroit Tigers because of right hamstring tightness.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Hinch described the injuries to Mize and Jansen as right groin tightness.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Protective measures range from trimming at-risk tree branches to replacing flimsy exterior doors with stronger ones.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Michael is stepping into a really key role trimming the wing, which is probably one of the harder roles on the F50.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The penny pinching doesn’t exactly translate with the NBA, a players’ league and one where market size to elevate brand is difficult in Portland.—
Maury Brown,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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The bra’s signature M frame creates a sturdy structure that supports your chest sans underwire — thereby avoiding any digging, pinching, and poking throughout the day.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting%20back. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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