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
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
For experienced leaders, saving money isn’t necessarily about penny-pinching, but rather about optimizing how and where resources are spent.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 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
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
For experienced leaders, saving money isn’t necessarily about penny-pinching, but rather about optimizing how and where resources are spent.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 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
-
This requires careful monitoring of key parameters such as sugar and acidity from veraison through to harvest.—
Maureen Mackey , Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Somewhere within him is the spirit of the patriotic teenager and the careful lower-court judge who rejected any notion of party loyalty or judicial agenda.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or, the city could take a more time-consuming and cost saving approach by asking the state legislature for help.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But multimillionaire serial investor and entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary says saving is more important than ever before.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As of April 2, 26 South Korean vessels remained stranded in the Persian Gulf, and South Korea is suffering some of the worst effects of the Iran conflict to its energy sector and economy of any non-combatant country, the CSIS said.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The pharma industry is a cornerstone of Europe’s economy, but the continent’s declining competitiveness has companies looking elsewhere to place investments.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Season 2, in the big picture, takes a cynical approach to modern relationships, asking if love is an inherently selfish endeavor within a capitalistic society, where your quality of life is so heavily influenced by what’s in your bank account.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
While holding everyone captive, Park says that humanity is ultimately selfish and that greed is the way to get ahead in the world.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Are Flaubert and Beckett writers who felt terror about having children, and then sublimated this frugality into the discipline of their literary work?—
Aaron Matz,
The New York Review of Books,
4 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
-
The latest Wilderness model will sport the most miserly powertrain of all the vehicles in that sub-brand, Subaru says.—
Marty Padgett,
The Drive,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Como had been neck-and-neck with Roma’s miserly backline before shipping four at Inter last Saturday, a chastening defeat that ended an unbeaten run stretching back to the end of August.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
During the week, Elmer shops for used Nikes, New Balances and other sneakers at thrift stores, then sells them in front of the neighborhood convenience store on the weekends.—
Wendi C. Thomas,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2026
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People can also visit the Hillsdale Learning Center to pick up a $50 voucher to a local thrift store, Village Thrift, in Paola.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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