as in to save
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
had to scrimp and save for years in order to be able to afford a house
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Recent Examples of scrimp
Far from the envy of the world, Britain has been scrimping by spending 37 billion pounds ($53 billion) on the health services each year, well below Germany, France and Australia, a landmark review found last year.
—
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Kang Ha-neul plays a young man who has been scrimping and saving his whole life to buy his own apartment, only to discover that living so close to strangers brings its own problems.
—PC Magazine, 18 July 2025
Denzel Washington confronts photographer in tense moment at Cannes Film Festival
Watson did not scrimp in the glamour department for her 2013 Cannes debut either.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 23 May 2025
To The Boss: Don’t scrimp on leadership development—especially coaching.
—Tom Roberts, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrimp
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Kang Ha-neul plays a young man who has been scrimping and saving his whole life to buy his own apartment, only to discover that living so close to strangers brings its own problems.
—PC Magazine, 18 July 2025
Denzel Washington confronts photographer in tense moment at Cannes Film Festival
Watson did not scrimp in the glamour department for her 2013 Cannes debut either.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 23 May 2025
To The Boss: Don’t scrimp on leadership development—especially coaching.
—Tom Roberts, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrimp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrimp
Verb
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Our clean energy and wildfire prevention efforts are saving billions—both in disaster costs and everyday bills.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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My father had two superpowers that saved him in the face of all those failures—his talent for telling stories and gardening.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In that light, Brodin’s track record of economizing on costs and resources at Ikea may be the real game changer if he is appointed.—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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The system reduces emissions, noise, and vibration while economizing on fuel and maintenance costs.—
Kathleen Turner,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Mulch the root zone to conserve soil moisture.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
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In an effort to test its ability to conserve water, the city attempted to give up 7,000 acre-feet of water per year between 2023 and 2025 (the city received payment from the federal government in exchange).—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the family portraits, excluded from the exhibition because of their Jewish heritage, were separated and ultimately spared.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Earlier this year, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, a graveyard was spared by the fire that sent thousands of Los Angeles residents fleeing into the coal-black night.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And even the most devoted coffee people can sometimes skimp on deep-cleaning their equipment.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Nov. 2025
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This is the best mattress for those looking for an affordable pick that doesn’t skimp on quality.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrimp. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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