as in saved
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 scrimped
While administrations scrimped, the fleet aged.
—
Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The power went out intermittently, and families scrimped to get enough food.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The power went out intermittently, and families scrimped to get enough food.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrimped
Verb
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McBride adds two types of dairy at the end before serving, both heavy cream and sour cream (which is usually saved as a topping), for an extra creamy soup.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
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Summers says the medical team initiated CPR immediately and delivered her son within six minutes of the code call—a feat that saved his life.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And while viewers could easily assume Eli was spared the expectations of a Korean family like Audrey’s, those who raised him also wounded him.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
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At one point, his mom was just seconds away from execution before her life was spared.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrimped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrimped. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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