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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-pinching
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
To make the most of spring planting, start with site preparation and careful plant selection.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But while the hard work of saving may be seemingly complete right now, the next level of determining where to store that money can be equally as difficult.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
However, the law cannot take effect unless Congress changes federal law to allow states to adopt permanent daylight saving time.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The deal was meant to free the Iranian economy from years of crippling sanctions in return for limits on Iran’s nuclear program, notably its enrichment of uranium.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Years of sanctions, economic mismanagement and corruption have gutted Iran’s economy.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The cub’s selfish decisions lead to the tree laying itself across a chasm to save its surrogate child.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
People forget that being an athlete is selfish.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Off-mountain Activities Vintage Shopping Ketchum has a treasure trove of vintage and second-hand shops, thanks to a culture of quiet luxury that prizes quality, taste, and frugality.—
Denny Lee,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Khamenei was born into poverty and outwardly disdains pomp, cultivating an image of pious frugality.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 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
-
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
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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
-
Walk into a thrift store, and you're immediately hit by the sheer volume of stuff.—
Heather Bien,
Martha Stewart,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Goerzen recommends scouring thrift stores and antique shops for a wealth of second-hand options.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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