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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ungenerosity
Related Words
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 cutting back
Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Drinking more water, increasing physical activity, eating potassium-rich foods, and cutting back on salt may improve excretion and potentially improve blood pressure.
—Md Published, Verywell Health, 26 Sep. 2025
After sleep, cutting back on alcohol and caffeine can be helpful.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Other educators who spoke to the Herald describe parents cutting back on extracurricular activities, avoiding school pick-up and drop-off lines, and even keeping children home to study informally.
—Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Start by cutting back the top growth to just a couple of inches to expose the crown of the plant.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2025
Gentle thinning of a magnolia will remove a few flowers, while cutting back all the branches to reduce its size can remove many of the flower buds, resulting in fewer flowers next spring.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Other plants with small flowers can be deadheaded by simply cutting back the whole plant to encourage regrowth.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
Experts say no amount of alcohol is safe, but even cutting back could make a big difference for your health.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
This year is especially important as chains try to reel in consumers who have been cutting back on discretionary spending.
—Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Drinking more water, increasing physical activity, eating potassium-rich foods, and cutting back on salt may improve excretion and potentially improve blood pressure.
—Md Published, Verywell Health, 26 Sep. 2025
After sleep, cutting back on alcohol and caffeine can be helpful.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Other educators who spoke to the Herald describe parents cutting back on extracurricular activities, avoiding school pick-up and drop-off lines, and even keeping children home to study informally.
—Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Start by cutting back the top growth to just a couple of inches to expose the crown of the plant.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2025
Gentle thinning of a magnolia will remove a few flowers, while cutting back all the branches to reduce its size can remove many of the flower buds, resulting in fewer flowers next spring.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Other plants with small flowers can be deadheaded by simply cutting back the whole plant to encourage regrowth.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
Experts say no amount of alcohol is safe, but even cutting back could make a big difference for your health.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting back
Verb
-
Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
However, the thawing of Russia’s northern coastline has opened a lane for vessels, shaving almost three weeks off shipping times compared to the journey around the Cape of Good Hope.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The company’s ethos is centered on significantly shortening the drug discovery and development process, ultimately creating medicines to treat the most significant killers, starting with aggressive cancers like breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
29 Sep. 2025
-
For adult projects, Alloy works with the writer to develop a full manuscript, and Morgenstein finds this step a way of shortening the process.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
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
-
Some are discontinuing various product lines, and others are cutting workers or closing altogether.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The bass is a hard thing to really get cutting, but also representing the bottom.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Among their inspiring behaviors, these characters deserve to also express pettiness and selfishness, or, at the very least, more wit.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
-
At a moment in American political culture when selfishness abides — when giving is seen as weakness and costly — Redford’s lesson feels timelier than ever.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Its trimming rippled in the afternoon wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Naylor left Friday night’s game early with groin tightness.—
Jim Bowden,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Elias Díaz was smiling and moving around unencumbered late last night, a couple hours after essentially pulling himself from the game in the fourth inning following a couple awkward swings that resulted in him feeling tightness in his left oblique.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Its audio comes through clean and detail-rich, with noise cancelling and automatic limiting to handle background chaos without clipping your voice.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting%20back. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share