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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penny-pinching
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
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
While the Harry Potter star might have blown through a good chunk of his wealth, many other celebrities are penny-pinching during their career highs.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 24 June 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
However, there’s a fine line between cost control and penny-pinching.
—Ben Tercha, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
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
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
While the Harry Potter star might have blown through a good chunk of his wealth, many other celebrities are penny-pinching during their career highs.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 24 June 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
However, there’s a fine line between cost control and penny-pinching.
—Ben Tercha, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-pinching
Adjective
-
But turning this moment into lasting advantage will require careful planning, not just short-term opportunism.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In short, traditional Medicare is effective, life-saving, and affordable.—
Marianne Pizzitola,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The mitigation is to disable automative media saving.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Syria is trying to improve its economy after a long war that killed nearly half a million people and caused widespread destruction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In China, once a major market for Nvidia, US tech controls have restricted exports of its cutting-edge chips, significantly impacting sales in the world’s second largest economy.—
Rosa de Acosta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While she and his working mom (Sarah Snook) are initially seen as culprits, the boy’s selfish father (Jake Lacy, who played similar roles in the dire Moriarty adaptation Apples Never Fall and The White Lotus) turns out to be the guiltiest party of all.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team.—
Tim Reynolds,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Khamenei was born into poverty and outwardly disdains pomp, cultivating an image of pious frugality.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Understanding that difference can prevent endless money conflicts because frugality builds a meaningful life, while cheapness slowly erodes joy.—
Brian Page,
CNBC,
26 Dec. 2025
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
-
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
-
In this version, miserly Madame Eleanor is visited by the ghost former business partner Jacob Marley as well as a few other apparitions.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Instagram is, of course, the place to go to get a better idea of the actual items that are currently for sale or have been sold in the past (many thrift stores maintain their own pages).—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Police in Chelsea, Michigan, are looking to speak with a woman who dropped off a human skull at a thrift store last week.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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