penny-pinching 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of penny-pinchingnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

penny-pinching

2 of 2

noun

ˈpe-nē-ˌpin-chiŋ How to pronounce penny-pinching (audio)
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

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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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penny-pinching
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-pinching
  1. careful
  2. saving
  3. economy
  4. selfish
  5. frugality
  6. economizing
  7. miserly
  8. thrift
Adjective
  • Kurz said that the field team put careful consideration into selecting each site.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Steve Bardens/Getty Images Brighton & Hove Albion must be careful that the chill of winter does not arrive much earlier than normal for them this season in the Conference League.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful
Noun
  • Fremantle’s latest financials come after RTL implemented cost saving measures at the production house following a strategic review.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The universe didn’t throw them together because Louis needed to grieve, and Regina needed saving.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of saving
Noun
  • That cost millions of layoffs, but helped propel China to overtake Japan as the second-largest economy behind the United States in 2010.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Zhu tamed rampant inflation, overhauled the currency system and weathered the Chinese economy through Asia’s financial crisis in 1997.
    — CNN Staff, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of economy
Adjective
  • Your co-workers need to watch out for themselves, but this shouldn’t be seen as selfish.
    — Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Erika is manipulative and selfish; Elliot doesn’t respect her boundaries either.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of selfish
Noun
  • His frugality has been well-documented, and his refusal to treat Blazers operations like an NBA team rather than an NHL one is concerning.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Warren Buffett, whose fortune tops $150 billion, has long embraced frugality.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of frugality
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
Definition of economizing
Adjective
  • The plot involves two sons of rich, miserly fathers in love with girls their fathers will never approve of and what happens when the fathers’ devious servants decide to give the boys a hand.
    — Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
  • The already rich reap the most, though the thin spreading of payments means the payouts are relatively miserly for the game’s elite.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of miserly
Noun
  • There’s nothing like the thrill of scouring thrift store racks, not just for rare treasures but for everyday staples like clothing and housewares.
    — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Levi’s created a handstitching course for high school students after determining that many members of Gen Z lacked the sewing skills to match their interest in thrift store shopping and sustainability.
    — Anne D’Innocenzio, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of thrift

Browse Nearby Words

penny-pinchers
penny-pinching
penny-wise
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Cite this Entry

“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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