Synonyms of retrench

retrench

verb

as in to reduce

formal to change the way things are done in order to spend less money

When the economy slowed, the company was forced to retrench.

Related Words

• reduce
• cut
• slash
• pare
• shrink
• curtail
• truncate
• decrease
• shorten
• drop
• abridge
• downsize
• whittle
• lower
• diminish
• cut down
• prune
• trim
• abbreviate
• deplete
• contract
• cut back
• dock
• lessen
• dwindle
• constrict
• crop
• abate
• modify
• dent
• nick
• condense
• compress
• downscale
• ease
• clip
• knock down
• minimize
• deflate
• de-escalate
• modulate
• qualify
• moderate

Dissimilar Words

• extend
• prolong
• inflate
• swell
• dilate
• lengthen
• add (to)
• elongate
• blow up
• supplement
• complement
• enhance
• intensify
• distend
• protract
• increase
• heighten
• expand
• augment
• enlarge
• raise
• amplify
• escalate
• redouble
• boost
• aggrandize

Synonym Chooser

How is the word retrench different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of retrench are abbreviate, abridge, curtail, and shorten. While all these words mean "to reduce in extent," retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive.

declining business forced the company to retrench

When is abbreviate a more appropriate choice than retrench?

While in some cases nearly identical to retrench, abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part.

using an abbreviated title

When is it sensible to use abridge instead of retrench?

The words abridge and retrench can be used in similar contexts, but abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result.

the abridged version of the novel

When can curtail be used instead of retrench?

In some situations, the words curtail and retrench are roughly equivalent. However, curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy.

ceremonies curtailed because of rain

When could shorten be used to replace retrench?

The words shorten and retrench are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, shorten implies reduction in length or duration.

shorten a speech

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of retrench

Underlying details in the report also show that consumers and businesses haven’t quite retrenched in the face of persistent uncertainty about the economy, which is helping propel economic growth. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 July 2025

At a moment when Nixon was hoping to retrench, NASA proposed a program with an annual cost that would eventually rise to $10 billion, carried out over more than a decade—an expense far greater than Apollo’s. —Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025

Alongside Bana there’s Rosemary DeWitt as Turner’s ex-wife Jill, Lily Santiago’s Naya Vasquez who left the LAPD to retrench with her 4-year-old son in the great outdoors, and Sam Neill as Yosemite’s chief park ranger. —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 13 July 2025

France’s wine sector is currently experiencing a deep crisis, with many businesses forced to consolidate or retrench. —Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025