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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutting back
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Keep your ferns tidy by cutting back old, decaying growth.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 June 2026
Kilan Ashad-Bishop, a University of Miami assistant professor and the study’s lead investigator, said participants described relying more on air conditioning, cutting back on social activities and rescheduling appointments to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
The Women’s Eredivisie, the top-flight female league in Holland now has just 10 teams, after cutting back from 12 last season.
—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
For those looking to protect their long-term health, researchers emphasized that cutting back to one drink or giving up alcohol entirely appears to be the best strategy.
—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
For some, that includes cutting back on other necessities such as food, budgeting strictly to afford half a tank of gas a week and rethinking side hustles such as food delivery service.
—
Lily Wright,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
And earlier this month, the CEO of discount grocery store Dollar General, Todd Vasos, revealed that the chain’s shoppers are cutting back on food and other household goods.
—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Consumers are cutting back discretionary spending, which is affecting alcohol sales, as well as shifting to spirits or premade options.
—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
Video games are Whitehead’s usual palate cleanser between projects, but lately he’s been cutting back.
—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Keep your ferns tidy by cutting back old, decaying growth.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 June 2026
Kilan Ashad-Bishop, a University of Miami assistant professor and the study’s lead investigator, said participants described relying more on air conditioning, cutting back on social activities and rescheduling appointments to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
The Women’s Eredivisie, the top-flight female league in Holland now has just 10 teams, after cutting back from 12 last season.
—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
For those looking to protect their long-term health, researchers emphasized that cutting back to one drink or giving up alcohol entirely appears to be the best strategy.
—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
For some, that includes cutting back on other necessities such as food, budgeting strictly to afford half a tank of gas a week and rethinking side hustles such as food delivery service.
—
Lily Wright,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
And earlier this month, the CEO of discount grocery store Dollar General, Todd Vasos, revealed that the chain’s shoppers are cutting back on food and other household goods.
—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Consumers are cutting back discretionary spending, which is affecting alcohol sales, as well as shifting to spirits or premade options.
—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
8 June 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.
Verb
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Right now, Amazon has it on sale for 33% off, sending the price tag below $100 and shaving $50 off.
-
Borrowers with strong credit may be able to qualify for a rate below that threshold, and shaving even half a point off your rate can add meaningful room to your price ceiling.
Verb
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The changes allow some large IPOs to become eligible for the Nasdaq-100 after just 15 trading days, dramatically shortening what had historically been a far longer waiting period.
-
In plain terms, Tau Scaling asks whether performance gains can come not only from shrinking the node, but from shortening the distance data travels, reducing resistance and capacitance, and coordinating hardware and software around latency.
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.
-
The adjectives used to describe vampire Lucy suggest monstrous selfishness.
Verb
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Jangoo and Chase batted cautiously in the first hour before cutting loose just before lunch.
-
The ribbon-cutting event was a somewhat soggy affair (got to love that unpredictable Florida weather) but a happy one for Seth and the 20+ IONNA employees that made the road trip down from their corporate office in Raleigh, NC.
Noun
-
Suarez complained of forearm tightness in his pitching arm last week and wasn’t available to throw against the Padres in San Diego.
-
Worth noting Catcher Daniel Susac left Thursday’s game due to lower back tightness.
Verb
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This factor was vastly dwarfed by organizational restructuring, budget cuts, and economic conditions, which are all far more standard explanations historically used by corporations to justify trimming jobs.
-
Consider trimming a task list, then schedule a quiet break between meetings to recharge.
Noun
-
The Maui flip-flops target key pressure points on the sole of the foot to help evenly distribute weight and reduce stress, while the wide toe post is designed to minimize pinching and blisters.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cutting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting%20back. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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