as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
the new CEO's penny-pinching ways have helped to keep the company out of bankruptcy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in saving
careful management of material resources
they'll have to practice some penny-pinching if they want to save for a house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in economy
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money
reusing your tea bags is perhaps taking penny-pinching too far
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penny-pinching
Alex Veiga, Fortune, 20 May 2026
For a lot of people, now’s a time of penny-pinching.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2026
But for now, penny-pinching can be accomplished with relatively inconsequential basketball moves.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Of course, inertia and penny-pinching are also causes.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 16 Jan. 2026
Some of these treats date as far back as the 1700s, while others were developed during the penny-pinching of the Great Depression or the liveliness of the 1950s.
—Mack Swenson, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
Everton have spent around £90million ($122m) so far this summer, a considerable departure from the days of penny-pinching towards the end of former owner Farhad Moshiri’s tenure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Amid a tit-for-tat race to host Hollywood to boost their local economies, regions across the world like New York, New Jersey, the U.K. and Australia beckon to production executives increasingly turning to penny-pinching.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The result: No more penny-pinching, forget about getting a penny for your thoughts, and Ben Franklin's quote about a penny saved being a penny earned may confuse future generations.
—Maya Bell, jsonline.com, 30 May 2025
Noun
The penny-pinching paid off in 2023, when Berry bought her two-bedroom, one-bath home in Charleston, Tennessee, a small town about 45 miles outside of Chattanooga.
—Alex Veiga, Fortune, 20 May 2026
For a lot of people, now’s a time of penny-pinching.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2026
But for now, penny-pinching can be accomplished with relatively inconsequential basketball moves.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Of course, inertia and penny-pinching are also causes.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 16 Jan. 2026
Some of these treats date as far back as the 1700s, while others were developed during the penny-pinching of the Great Depression or the liveliness of the 1950s.
—Mack Swenson, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
Everton have spent around £90million ($122m) so far this summer, a considerable departure from the days of penny-pinching towards the end of former owner Farhad Moshiri’s tenure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Amid a tit-for-tat race to host Hollywood to boost their local economies, regions across the world like New York, New Jersey, the U.K. and Australia beckon to production executives increasingly turning to penny-pinching.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The result: No more penny-pinching, forget about getting a penny for your thoughts, and Ben Franklin's quote about a penny saved being a penny earned may confuse future generations.
—Maya Bell, jsonline.com, 30 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-pinching
Adjective
-
Be careful when riding back downtown on a bike, as the hill notoriously increases cycling speed.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
-
The Main Match Concealer is available in 22 shades, with careful consideration for South Asian undertones (which are often breezed by).—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The app teaches budgeting, saving, investing, and entrepreneurship through interactive challenges and goal setting.—
Najahe Sherman,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
When purchasing a residential property in the county, buyers can qualify for a homeowners’ exemption by declaring that the property is their primary home, which entitles them to a $70 tax savings.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
And the conflict’s drain on men of fighting age has had ramifications for the rest of the Russian economy, which is now dealing with a wider labor crisis.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Guerrero Flores returned to the prison in Aragua on murder and other convictions in 2013, when Venezuela’s crisis began and corruption, mismanagement and a drop in crude prices wrecked the oil-dependent economy.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Her personality has always been difficult, noncollaborative, selfish and demanding.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Squandering his Senate seniority and experience at this time, combined with his decision to appoint a newbie to replace him, should that opportunity arise, seems misguided at best and selfish at worst.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Kacey Musgraves’s twisting catalogue cruises through country, folk, pop, soul, and disco in search of multifaceted frugality.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
On a call with reporters Monday, Wu defended the frugality of her FY27 spending plan amid calls for an audit of city and BPS spending by two city councilors.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Inflation continues to pressure consumers The holiday economizing comes as Americans continue to battle inflation, which rose after the COVID-19 pandemic to levels not seen since the 1980s.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Koenig’s former Yankees teammates were contemptuous of that miserly decision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The film is set in Mumbai and built around a miserly protagonist whose circumstances spiral into escalating absurdity.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Picture Frames Donating picture frames to a thrift store serves a variety of purposes.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 June 2026
-
Rayanne Wild and chaotic, a loyal best friend known for messy braids, thrift-store chic, and ‘90s teenage rebellion.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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