as in cuts
formal
to change the way things are done in order to spend less money
When the economy slowed, the company was forced to retrench.
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Recent Examples of retrenches
Guatemala became the third Latin American government to declare a state of emergency to combat gang violence, as the region retrenches around security.
—
Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026
If the United States further retrenches from Colombia, Beijing will seek to deepen its influence.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026
If the United States further retrenches from Colombia, Beijing will seek to deepen its influence.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrenches
Verb
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Mikal Bridges cuts from the top of the 3-point line under the rim, forcing the closest big man, Jakob Poeltl, to make a decision.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Like Xcel Energy, PG&E cuts the electricity when conditions are ripe for wildfires.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
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Each option reduces overall productivity, cutting supplies of basic foods, feed for livestock and key ingredients used in a wide range of food products.—
Aya S. Chacar,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The proposal slashes funding to the agency’s science program by 46 percent—a cut similar to what had been proposed in the president’s budget request for the current fiscal year.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
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Through careful tuning of an extended Kalman filter and by taking advantage of bamboo’s natural vibration-damping properties, the system slashes control latency from 15–20 milliseconds down to just 8–10 milliseconds, enhancing responsiveness while keeping flight stable.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Water is one of the best inclusions to have in a hardscape plan for its soothing sound that also improves the air quality by releasing negative ions in the air that decreases pollutants.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2026
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As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Miniature Wife Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen star in this dramedy about an egocentric scientist on the verge of a breakthrough who accidentally shrinks his wife, a Pulitzer-winning author who hasn’t written a lick in more than a decade.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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As the labor force shrinks, economic output and tax revenues may contract while demand for pensions, healthcare, and social security rises—a financial burden that will be borne by an increasingly smaller workforce.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Designed by Sam Burch Architects, the house takes a familiar Mediterranean look and pares it back, using the natural setting to do alot of the heavy lifting.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
6 Apr. 2026
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Marvel Avengers Expansion Impressions The biggest strength of the Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game expansions continues to be succinct writing that pares down decades of comic book history into a short but informative chapter.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Grohl, the eldest daughter of Dave Grohl and his wife, Jordyn Blum, is gearing up for the release of her debut album, Be Sweet to Me, which drops May 29.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
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Tillis is refusing to vote for any Fed nominee until the Department of Justice drops a criminal probe into Powell.—
Emily Wilkins,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retrenches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrenches. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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