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
-
Chelsea are famously parsimonious in the transfer market, after all.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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Wimpy was a mild-mannered, soft-spoken, lazy, parsimonious, and utterly gluttonous hamburger-wolfing straight man to Popeye.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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How much is unclear, but with the Portuguese’s contract not due to expire until June 2027, the amounts won’t be miserly.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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That’ll teach Assad to give Meatball more than a miserly $40 contribution next time!—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.—
Margaret Talbot,
The New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2023
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Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
31 May 2023
Adjective
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But both are gone because neither could make magic of Sherman’s low-spending model that still includes the most penurious payroll in MLB in 2025.—
Greg Cote
July 16,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
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Even so, the general picture of a mother’s absence and a daughter’s understandable resentment at having had to pick up the maternal slack in penurious conditions comes through loud and clear.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Gray’s Papaya hot dog restaurant in Manhattan has served up beef franks to the hungry and frugal masses for the past five decades.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
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Being frugal on everything the customer doesn’t see.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Reader Vicki Casey from Huntersville, North Carolina, shared this lovely recipe created by her thrifty mother-in-law that uses the juice leftover from canned pineapple to make a beautiful pie.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
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Marketing has been quite thrifty on this anime movie, on par with other Crunchyroll titles.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Brown will play nine or 10 guys, compared to Thibodeau’s stingier approach.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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The Chargers entered the game undefeated, and have been especially stingy on defense.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ink-tank printers looked poised to become the better, more economical choice for the future of printing.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
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At a certain point, the discussion and decision becomes purely economical.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penny-wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-wise. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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