Synonyms of scrimped

scrimped

verb

past tense of scrimp

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• saved
• spared
• economized
• skimped
• conserved
• managed
• preserved
• pinched
• scraped
• pinched pennies
• husbanded
• maintained
• hoarded
• cut down
• cut back
• laid up
• retrenched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wasted
• spent
• squandered
• lavished
• dissipated
• blew
• ran through
• threw away
• misspent
• frittered (away)
• splurged

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scrimped

The world-class training facility owes its existence to the dedication of a group of volunteers, who scrimped and saved for well over a decade to get their own curling space. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026

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

But while independent vendors, including big name designers with relatively small businesses, scrimped and saved and struggled to get by without, Saks Global found the money to pay brands at the tippy top of the fashion pyramid. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019