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
-
The tunnel was built after careful planning and executed with tremendous effort.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The classic Feldstein-Horioka puzzle asked why domestic saving and investment remained closely linked despite open capital markets.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
But because the Trump plan is based on voluntary participation – Congressional authority is likely needed for anyone to be automatically enrolled – the number of workers likely to see their retirement savings go up as a result could be much lower than Morningstar’s estimate.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The latest impasse leaves the ceasefire between the two sides in an increasingly uncertain place as the global economy gets hit by the war’s impact on trade.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
The rapid rise of microdramas, short-form storytelling, and creator economies is on Zon’s radar, particularly given Indonesia’s position as one of Asia’s most dynamic digital markets.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
But really, that's pretty selfish.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
Artists can be complicated, selfish people, and substance abuse exacerbates these traits for many of them.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
14 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
-
The film is set in Mumbai and built around a miserly protagonist whose circumstances spiral into escalating absurdity.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
UConn’s offense hasn’t been nearly as prolific, averaging 73.2 points per game, although its D has been downright miserly.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Donating to thrift stores helps keep items out of landfills and gives them a chance to be reused and loved by someone else.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
13 May 2026
-
It’s been less than a decade since the thrift stores, dive bars, and live-music venues on North 6th Street vanished to make room for a Nolita-like mix of indie boutiques and DTC mini-chains like Buck Mason, Everlane, and Warby Parker.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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