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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of cutting back
Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Eighty percent of Americans are cutting back on spending due to higher gas prices.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Ailing Spirit Airlines had been on a roller-coast ride for a couple of years, adding flights and cutting back, sometimes at the same time.
—Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Consider cutting back stems that cross or rub against one another.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
That approach often comes with tradeoffs, like cutting back on alcohol or budgeting differently to afford the classes and trainers who know their name and celebrate their wins.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 15 Apr. 2026
But now, customers are cutting back.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
One option is to remove all the dead, cutting back into the body of the fern.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
Renewal pruning is another beneficial technique—cutting back overgrown stems to remove barriers preventing light from reaching inner branches.
—Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Eighty percent of Americans are cutting back on spending due to higher gas prices.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Ailing Spirit Airlines had been on a roller-coast ride for a couple of years, adding flights and cutting back, sometimes at the same time.
—Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Consider cutting back stems that cross or rub against one another.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
That approach often comes with tradeoffs, like cutting back on alcohol or budgeting differently to afford the classes and trainers who know their name and celebrate their wins.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 15 Apr. 2026
But now, customers are cutting back.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
One option is to remove all the dead, cutting back into the body of the fern.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 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
-
Back in the day, scandals typically were point-shaving schemes that involved shadowy figures bribing athletes.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Fairley also intends to plead guilty in a separate NCAA point-shaving case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania over allegedly recruiting players who would accept bribes to influence games, the documents showed.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
In the surgical procedure, a v-shape of the lower lid is removed thereby shortening the area and reducing the defect.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Part of that vision includes increasing how often NASA launches Artemis' Space Launch System (SLS) rocket — with the goal of shortening the gap between missions from a few years to about 10 months.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Our policies have been defined more by optimism and generosity than by selfishness and cynicism.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Shooting the final sequence from Cassie’s point of view was a last-minute adjustment, which Levinson made the day of filming to emphasize Cassie’s narcissism and selfishness.—
Zoe Papelis,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The back-to-back debates offered plenty of cutting moments as Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman and reality television star Spencer Pratt faced off against each other.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Porter focused on cutting bureaucracy, calling for a single statewide development permit to streamline approvals and reduce delays.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Baltimore scratched infielder Blaze Alexander before the game with right calf tightness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Patients may later develop coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness from fluid building in the lungs, according to the CDC.—
Eva Flowe
May 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
After making a slew of undrafted free-agent signings, the Broncos are trimming their offseason roster as rookie minicamp kicks off this weekend.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
-
Brian Kemp signs 34 bills, trimming his backlog with days left to act on this year’s legislation.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Don’t settle for painful pinching and friction on your next outing.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The result is a weeknight-friendly meal with no need for folding and pinching.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting%20back. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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