as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
a scrimping homemaker
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in saving
careful management of material resources
she had grown tired of scrimping and was glad to finally have a job with a decent paycheck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in conserving
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scrimping
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Racing became a way of life, traveling the Midwest and scrimping together money for fuel and parts.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Now, after scrimping, saving and planning, our dream trip is finally happening.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
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
Noun
Analysts say the billowing scent of hot dogs that emanates daily from the warehouse food court is a constant reminder of Costco’s commitment to delivering value at a time when American shoppers are fed up with nosebleed prices and constant scrimping.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
Verb
Absent better reverse mortgage options, this keeps retirees from spending a large share of their wealth, and means some are scrimping on their non-housing expenses.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Racing became a way of life, traveling the Midwest and scrimping together money for fuel and parts.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Now, after scrimping, saving and planning, our dream trip is finally happening.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrimping
Adjective
-
Still to come are an accessible junior suite, four two-bedroom family villas, and four smaller standard rooms, which won't have their own pool or terrace but will offer a more economical entry point into the property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Gateway is modified to first repair the old 1910 tunnel immediately and construct a more economical new tunnel (without expensive and unneeded bench walls and cross-connecting passageways) and link it directly into Penn Station.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Long work hours have limited their time together and delayed financial goals such as saving, traveling or planning for long-term stability.—
Brianna Mantaras,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
If that's a bit rich for your blood, the Pro variant is pitched at $1,999 – a considerable saving on the $3,499 retail ticket price.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Zack took the cue and led with Altadena’s sense of independence as a quality worth conserving.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
This time, the World team only got a token 5-minute appearance from the Lakers’ Luka Doncic, in this case legitimately conserving himself while coming back from a hamstring injury.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fueled by oil and gas exports, Russia defied Western predictions of economic collapse, instead becoming the 9th-biggest economy in the world in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund, ahead of Canada and Brazil.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Russian economy has been struggling since 2014, so many analysts believed that this social contract was coming under strain even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.—
Elizaveta Gaufman,
The Conversation,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The system reduces emissions, noise, and vibration while economizing on fuel and maintenance costs.—
Kathleen Turner,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As adults, his children—one of whom is an acclaimed songwriter—are careful with their words and sparing with the fillers.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Some argue that limited military action targeting the Revolutionary Guard and security infrastructure — while sparing civilians — may be the only remaining path to ending this authoritarian system.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrimping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrimping. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
