as in shortening
to make less in extent or duration
curtailed the school day because of the stormy weather
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Recent Examples of curtailing
In June 2023, the court held that race-conscious admissions programs violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, effectively curtailing the consideration of race in colleges nationwide.
—
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Asking the closest thing the country has to a national theater to concentrate on its earnings endangers any art form with a small audience, while also curtailing ways that such an audience might grow.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Mobilizing Proxies Over the past two years, Israel has battered Iran’s regional network of proxies, significantly curtailing the regime’s ability to project power beyond its borders.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
The federal government is curtailing such efforts just as researchers call for more funding and, in some cases, long-term monitoring of people previously infected.
—Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
The federal government is curtailing such efforts just as researchers call for more funding and, in some cases, long-term monitoring of people previously infected.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
However, threats risk curtailing that openness.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026
This suggests bipartisan interest in ensuring lawful operations rather than curtailing enforcement capacity.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The Pahlavi monarchy marked a rupture, banning the Azerbaijani language and curtailing local autonomy.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Asking the closest thing the country has to a national theater to concentrate on its earnings endangers any art form with a small audience, while also curtailing ways that such an audience might grow.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Mobilizing Proxies Over the past two years, Israel has battered Iran’s regional network of proxies, significantly curtailing the regime’s ability to project power beyond its borders.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
The federal government is curtailing such efforts just as researchers call for more funding and, in some cases, long-term monitoring of people previously infected.
—Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
The federal government is curtailing such efforts just as researchers call for more funding and, in some cases, long-term monitoring of people previously infected.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
However, threats risk curtailing that openness.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026
This suggests bipartisan interest in ensuring lawful operations rather than curtailing enforcement capacity.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The Pahlavi monarchy marked a rupture, banning the Azerbaijani language and curtailing local autonomy.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtailing
Verb
-
ChatGPT's early lead among individual users appears to be shortening as rivals like Google’s Gemini close in on its app and web market share—a shift that could complicate the company’s reported plans to IPO later this year.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Samuel Helenius, Andrei Kuzmenko and Corey Perry (empty net) scored for the Kings (22-16-3), who won their third straight game after Monday’s game in Columbus was postponed due to Sunday’s blizzard, shortening their trip from six to five games.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The system responded within milliseconds, fast enough to support real-time reactions such as pulling away from harmful contact or reducing applied force during interaction.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Republicans argued the bill would accomplish little in the way of reducing rates and would demonize utility executives.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curtailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtailing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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