as in parsimonious
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Recent Examples of penny-wise
That led to the penny-wise, pound-foolish path of appeasement.
—
Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Undermining Bayh-Dole to scrape together a billion or two in revenue would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In fiscal terms, the budget cuts are penny-wise and galactically foolish.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
But even if successful, such an effort would likely be penny-wise and pound-foolish, leading U.S. allies to turn away from Washington in the long term.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Cheap graphics cards are penny-wise but dollar-foolish for gaming PCs.
—Brad Bourque, Wired News, 9 Aug. 2024
Having these tenants lose their apartments and become homeless is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2024
Ironically, its source is here on Earth: Congress, which has the penny-wise but pound-foolish policy of releasing just a trickle of funding to the space agency every year, hobbles many of NASA's mission goals that require thinking past a two-year House or six-year Senate term.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Undermining Bayh-Dole to scrape together a billion or two in revenue would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In fiscal terms, the budget cuts are penny-wise and galactically foolish.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
But even if successful, such an effort would likely be penny-wise and pound-foolish, leading U.S. allies to turn away from Washington in the long term.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Cheap graphics cards are penny-wise but dollar-foolish for gaming PCs.
—Brad Bourque, Wired News, 9 Aug. 2024
Having these tenants lose their apartments and become homeless is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2024
Ironically, its source is here on Earth: Congress, which has the penny-wise but pound-foolish policy of releasing just a trickle of funding to the space agency every year, hobbles many of NASA's mission goals that require thinking past a two-year House or six-year Senate term.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-wise
Adjective
-
The financial rewards accrued from streaming and downloading have been parsimonious.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Jerry Reinsdorf, who traditionally has been parsimonious with both the Bulls and the ChiSox, isn’t about to kick in another $116 million.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The latest Wilderness model will sport the most miserly powertrain of all the vehicles in that sub-brand, Subaru says.—
Marty Padgett,
The Drive,
1 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
-
Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.—
Margaret Talbot,
The New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2023
-
Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
31 May 2023
Adjective
-
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Then the usually penurious Indians suddenly splurged.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Reporter kidnapped in Baghdad known for pursuing gutsy, low-budget assignments while living ‘frugal existence’.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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The frugal-minded, meanwhile, may prefer a no-fee, cash-back card like the Citi Double Cash card or the Apple Card.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Those latter prices look downright thrifty in comparison.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Mar. 2026
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What started out as a thrifty practice has become an unofficial commandment of Southern kitchens—don't waste one drop of tasty bacon grease.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Then the experimental concept of playing 6-9 Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-10 Morez Johnson and the 7-3 Mara on the floor together suddenly clicked against historically one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, and the Wolverines became an overnight juggernaut.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Arizona led for much of the early minutes, but Purdue’s shot-making and stingy defense flipped game.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Manufacturing entire components from tungsten is therefore neither economical nor practical.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
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Your grocery store likely has a flowers section that can be both a convenient and economical option—but knowing which ones to pick can make or break a supermarket bouquet.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penny-wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-wise. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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