penny-pinching 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of penny-pinchingnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

penny-pinching

2 of 2

noun

ˈpe-nē-ˌpin-chiŋ How to pronounce penny-pinching (audio)
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

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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

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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 penny-pinching
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 But for now, penny-pinching can be accomplished with relatively inconsequential basketball moves. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-pinching
  1. careful
  2. saving
  3. economy
  4. selfish
  5. frugality
  6. economizing
  7. miserly
  8. thrift
Adjective
  • Without careful planning to reduce the constellations’ brightness, the team found that, in the most extreme case, the satellites could outnumber visible stars by a factor of 100.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Maneuvering in tight spaces requires careful judgment of each individual case — and not just about which body part is least likely to cause offense when brought into close proximity to a fellow diner.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful
Noun
  • This year, though, with the Jays exiting a buy-and-sell deadline in danger of squandering their season, Kirk’s latest heater might be season-saving.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The other is a reference to the genre, presented as endangered and in need of saving.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of saving
Noun
  • The goal behind the project is to boost the state's bottom line and grow Illinois' economy.
    — Tara Molina, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mastering the clipping economy Some of Ossoff’s newfound fans know him mostly from clips — one or two-minute-long videos that travel wide and far on social media platforms.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of economy
Adjective
  • Not because this generation is somehow softer or more selfish.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In essence, charisma is a vehicle for alignment and temporarily eroding the individual or selfish agendas that typically undermine effective group coordination and team collaboration.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of selfish
Noun
  • His frugality has been well-documented, and his refusal to treat Blazers operations like an NBA team rather than an NHL one is concerning.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Warren Buffett, whose fortune tops $150 billion, has long embraced frugality.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of frugality
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
Definition of economizing
Adjective
  • The plot involves two sons of rich, miserly fathers in love with girls their fathers will never approve of and what happens when the fathers’ devious servants decide to give the boys a hand.
    — Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
  • The already rich reap the most, though the thin spreading of payments means the payouts are relatively miserly for the game’s elite.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of miserly
Noun
  • Any items that meet a thrift store’s donation criteria should be in clean working order with all of the parts, including the power cord, included.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Upholstered Seating Cathleen Gruver of Gruver Cooley says to skip upholstered seating, such as sofas, armchairs, and ottomans, at the thrift store.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of thrift

Browse Nearby Words

penny-pinchers
penny-pinching
penny-wise
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Cite this Entry

“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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