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
Alex Veiga, Fortune, 20 May 2026
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
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
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
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
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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
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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
-
Easy to grow and perfect for edging flagstone walkways, provide sea thrift with good drainage and loose soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
After the debate, the producers had agreed to add a hundred and twenty-five more extras, sending Kurata, the costume designer, on a frantic thrift-store shopping spree, seeking monochromatic outfits in blue, pink, brown, yellow, orange, and green.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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