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
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Consider cutting back stems that cross or rub against one another.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2026
Throughout 2025, wealthy consumers maintained spending on services, while the broader consumer base became increasingly price-conscious, prioritizing smaller-ticket items and cutting back on big-ticket purchases such as electronics and furniture.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Others were made by cutting back native vegetation to widen existing walking paths.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Those in lower-income tiers are often cutting back, and say utility costs have hit them hard of late.
—Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Pruning improves air circulation, and cutting back long, leggy, single stems reserves energy for new growth.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 9 Jan. 2026
In the segment, the co-hosts discussed body image and then cut to a clip from Girls, before cutting back to them, in the studio with their tops off (with black bars covering them from the waist up).
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
That has included some districts cutting back specialist medical response teams, mental health crisis teams and heavy rescue teams, Watkins said.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
Johnson, who’s cutting back his college basketball work, will host the Final Four.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Consider cutting back stems that cross or rub against one another.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2026
Throughout 2025, wealthy consumers maintained spending on services, while the broader consumer base became increasingly price-conscious, prioritizing smaller-ticket items and cutting back on big-ticket purchases such as electronics and furniture.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Others were made by cutting back native vegetation to widen existing walking paths.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Those in lower-income tiers are often cutting back, and say utility costs have hit them hard of late.
—Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Pruning improves air circulation, and cutting back long, leggy, single stems reserves energy for new growth.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 9 Jan. 2026
In the segment, the co-hosts discussed body image and then cut to a clip from Girls, before cutting back to them, in the studio with their tops off (with black bars covering them from the waist up).
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
That has included some districts cutting back specialist medical response teams, mental health crisis teams and heavy rescue teams, Watkins said.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 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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The 30-year-old said that the whirlwind experience — being traded, shaving his bushy beard, disappointing his new team and getting demoted in less than a week’s time — taught him a lot about himself.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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So an advancement in this niche wasn't just about shaving off a few micrometers this way and that, but also about ensuring the QR code was usable over a long period of time in that tiny encoding area.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
How about shortening the season?—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
-
There are still widespread suspicions that Netflix would honor the film’s slate existing theatrical commitments — before ultimately shortening the windows to the point where the theater business is threatened.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This climactic collision is woven from several minor ethical tugs-of-war that rest on each character exhibiting both selfishness and altruism in various scenes, until their complicated humanity is placed under a harsh spotlight.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Jokic plays below the rim, accents the margins, makes the right play, everything that runs contrary to the selfishness rewarded in this exhibition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On one sequence Harding made a perfect bounce pass to a cutting Edmonds, who dunked over a West Virginia defender.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Go easy on the buffing Some people also like to buff their nails after cutting, and a light buff can promote healthy growth and increase shine.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Samaniego scratched Tyler Samaniego was due to make his Red Sox debut Saturday, but was scratched due to back tightness.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
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The Heat also ruled out Nikola Jovic (lower back tightness), Terry Rozier (not with team), Vlad Goldin (G League) and Jahmir Young (G League).—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rather than trimming the beans individually, do it in batches.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
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Often the hedge is full enough with healthy limbs to grow shoots that fill voids left from trimming.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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,
14 Jan. 2026
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Made from SpanxSmooth material—a lightweight nylon-and-elastane blend—the bralette feels almost weightless and provides gentle smoothing without any digging or pinching.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting%20back. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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