1
as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
we need to cut back the bushes a bit so that the house number is visible from the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shorten
to make less in extent or duration
cut back the meeting so everyone could leave early for the long weekend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in curtailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in curtailment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cut back
Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2025
At the same time, Western governments are cutting back on aid spending, in part to use in defense budgets.
—arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
In a fiercely divided country, many saw the cutbacks through their own political lens.
—Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut back
Verb
The United States, Britain, and the European Union have cut back donations.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2025
At the same time, Western governments are cutting back on aid spending, in part to use in defense budgets.
—arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
Critics argue the Education Department cutbacks are less about improving student outcomes and more about instituting a conservative agenda.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
In a fiercely divided country, many saw the cutbacks through their own political lens.
—Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut back
Verb
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Derrin claims Farley would also shave and put his body hair on people and their food.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
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Revisited epic, and its power is undiminished even though Dylan shaved off some of the latter verses.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ward shortened his drop and threw a strike in the small sliver of space just before the hash mark.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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On March 7, a UK judge shortened the sentence of the group’s founder, Roger Hallam, for disrupting a traffic event after an appeal.—
Angelica Villa,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In California, for example, the increase in storage capacity has reduced curtailment, a term for diminished solar generation, and stabilized electricity pricing.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Moreover, Ontario’s electricity grid frequently produces surplus power; export markets are essential to avoid costly waste or curtailment.—
Ali Hoss,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Will cutting sustainability contribute to losing trust with employees, consumers, and communities?—
Paul Klein,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Pitino pulled star wing RJ Luis out of the lineup after making two free throws to cut Arkansas’ lead to two points with less than five minutes to play.—
Brendan Quinn,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In abbreviated Battles, Jacquelyn George defeated Jordan Allen to remain on Team Legend, and Dan Kieran and Page Mackenzie bested Jessica Manalo and Robert Hunter, respectively, to keep going with Team Kelsea.—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
24 Mar. 2025
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An abbreviated Season 7 will cap The Conners’ run at 112 episodes.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The staff reductions are the first step in shutting down the 46-year-old agency, McMahon has said.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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All of those staffers were laid off in the recent federal workforce reductions.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The danger was obvious at Villa Park, but Justin did a better job of heading the danger away against Wolverhampton Wanderers at King Power Stadium just before Christmas… … until Wolves gathered up the second ball and Nelson Semedo clipped another high ball back into the box.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
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Also new for the season are leather goods, which range from sunglass carriers to pencil cases, all with the same D-shaped ring that allows them to be clipped onto a lanyard — for the sake of practicality as much as safety on the go.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That's the abridged version of the tricky nature of prosecuting a murder case without a body.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2023
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On Friday, Burrows, R-Lubbock, made public his request to Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee for an abridged video from a school hallway camera to be released.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
11 July 2022
Cite this Entry
“Cut back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20back. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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