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
-
The best way to attain them during this conjunction of Venus and Saturn in your financial zone would be to set careful guardrails around your spending.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
No amount of sweeping or careful stepping keeps it at bay; shoes quickly collect a film of dust or thick mud.—
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Daylight saving time disrupts the circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to higher risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, according to the organization.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
These institutions tend to offer higher rates to savers than those with local banking branches, thanks to the former saving on overhead and maintenance costs.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the years following Deng Xiaoping’s turn toward a capitalist economy, some Chinese intellectuals felt a kind of spiritual malaise; Deng’s reforms had failed to provide moral direction for a vast and proud former empire.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Digging the channel up to 10 feet deeper and 300 feet wider in some places would add $550 million a year to the local economy, according to port officials.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Stellan Skarsgård plays an aging filmmaker whose selfish past led to an estrangement from his daughters and who wants to make a movie inspired by their mom.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unfortunately, that’s the cost of frugality, something that will certainly be the hallmark of Sullivan’s first crack at free agency as GM.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
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
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
-
No one wants to bring home a vacuum cleaner with someone else’s dirt inside, so be sure to empty it before bringing it to the thrift store.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The high-value heirlooms underscore that Dunn’s Attic isn’t your typical thrift store of second-hand donations or a rummage sale’s random assortment.—
Colleen McNally Arnett,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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