as in retrenchment
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as in reducing
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 retrenching
Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This retreat from church mirrors a larger retrenching.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
General manager Pat Verbeek is keeping things tight to the vest but the Ducks, after years of retrenching into a painful rebuild and totally reshaping the club, are now in a position to add talent at the deadline instead of selling.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
But what if the mission changes, and the organization turns from all-out going for it to a form of retrenching?
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
This is not the strategy of a retrenching United States.
—Rebeccah Heinrichs, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
The store is seeking to enter a new phase of growth by retrenching its retail leadership in France while accelerating its global ambitions across both flagship locations and digital platforms.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
The museum did some retrenching earlier this year, eliminating some staff positions and long-vacant roles, citing sharply rising operational costs in the face of slower growth in revenue and philanthropic support.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
So far from a reset, Noem’s removal is a retrenching — an effort to remove our focus from the deeply troubling link between immigration policy and the threat to democracy while actually grinding forward on that dark path.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This retreat from church mirrors a larger retrenching.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
Networks and streamers, which have spent the past few years retrenching, may be regaining their appetite for risk.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
General manager Pat Verbeek is keeping things tight to the vest but the Ducks, after years of retrenching into a painful rebuild and totally reshaping the club, are now in a position to add talent at the deadline instead of selling.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
But what if the mission changes, and the organization turns from all-out going for it to a form of retrenching?
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
This is not the strategy of a retrenching United States.
—Rebeccah Heinrichs, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
The store is seeking to enter a new phase of growth by retrenching its retail leadership in France while accelerating its global ambitions across both flagship locations and digital platforms.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
The museum did some retrenching earlier this year, eliminating some staff positions and long-vacant roles, citing sharply rising operational costs in the face of slower growth in revenue and philanthropic support.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrenching
Noun
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Amid the ongoing retrenchment in pay-TV operators, some Wall Streeters have speculated that Comcast and Charter could one day combine.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The York Avenue building itself reflects Sotheby’s long cycle of expansion and retrenchment.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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MacRumors thinks this could end up reducing the thickness of the iPhone’s display stack while improving brightness and minimizing power use.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Airhart ethos is focused on reducing the cognitive drain on the pilot.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Always dry thoroughly, heat on the stovetop until completely dry, and apply a thin layer of oil or shortening.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
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This movement engages the quad concentrically, which means the muscles contract while shortening, Mann said.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Politicians from both parties are slashing rates and spinning loopholes.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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The new budget proposes slashing OCR funding by 35%.—
Sequoia Carrillo,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One exercise involved lightly pressing down on the abdomen in specified areas surrounding the belly button, while the other required contracting the hips in a bridge motion.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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Mellencamp grew up modestly but comfortably in the idyllic town of Seymour, Indiana, the son of a mother who was an artist and nascent beauty queen, and a father who worked a white-collar job with a local electrical contracting firm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Vesia surrendered a two-run triple to Swanson and an RBI single to Nico Hoerner, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to one.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Part of that includes 'cutting the pond' using machinery to dig through the sand and allow water to flow in and out.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hospitals also have struggled for decades with Medicaid rates that cover an ever-shrinking share of the cost of treating poor patients.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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Software headcount is shrinking.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The expected tariff refund helped push the company’s stock up 6% in pre-market trading, before paring back gains.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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The opposite approach—paring things down to the bare minimum—often comes at the cost of comfort and routine.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrenching. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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