curtail
verb
cur·tail
(ˌ)kər-ˈtāl 
curtailed; curtailing; curtails
: to make less by or as if by cutting off or away some part
curtail the power of the executive branch
curtail inflation
Some school activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.
Examples of curtail in a Sentence
The new laws are an effort to curtail illegal drug use.
School activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed and their weapons, factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces.
—
James Powel, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Coach Rick Carlisle began to pull starters such as Huff and Pascal Siakam within minutes to naturally curtail the team’s overall offensive output.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The new restrictions, along with cooperation from allies to implement similar rules, would likely curtail China’s ability to build a fully domestic AI supply chain.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
Egypt’s economy quickly began to feel the impact of the Iran war, with sharp stock market declines and natural gas imports being curtailed, reported The New Arab.
—Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curtail
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James Powel, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Coach Rick Carlisle began to pull starters such as Huff and Pascal Siakam within minutes to naturally curtail the team’s overall offensive output.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The new restrictions, along with cooperation from allies to implement similar rules, would likely curtail China’s ability to build a fully domestic AI supply chain.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
Egypt’s economy quickly began to feel the impact of the Iran war, with sharp stock market declines and natural gas imports being curtailed, reported The New Arab.
—Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curtail
Cite this Entry
“Curtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtail. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curtail
verb
cur·tail
(ˌ)kər-ˈtā(ə)l
: to make less by or as if by cutting off part of
curtailment
noun
-ˈtāl-mənt
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