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
Relevance
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
Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
The big picture: By Thursday night, some Weather Service and NOAA offices were already cutting back on their services.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
Iris Dorbian, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Wendy’s and Girl Scouts Collaborate on a Thin Mints Frosty
Niccol announced the menu cutback on Tuesday, Jan. 28, during an earnings call.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut back
Verb
Healey and state lawmakers on Beacon Hill have drastically curtailed access to the emergency assistance program, including by cutting back the maximum amount of time a family can stay in a shelter to six months and capping the system at 4,000 families starting at the end of this year.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
The big picture: By Thursday night, some Weather Service and NOAA offices were already cutting back on their services.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
What roles can major cannabis companies play despite DEI cutbacks?
—Iris Dorbian, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Wendy’s and Girl Scouts Collaborate on a Thin Mints Frosty
Niccol announced the menu cutback on Tuesday, Jan. 28, during an earnings call.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cut back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut back
Verb
-
Her hair, which was shaved down to a buzz cut for her surgery, appeared to be much darker than her usual blonde.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Newcomers like closer Devin Williams, who has already shaved off his signature beard from his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, are among those who could start letting their facial hair grow out again.—
Scott Thompson,
Fox News,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The city moved up and shortened the celebration’s two biggest parades, hoping to wrap them up before high winds moved in.—
Jeff Martin and Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
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That intermingled production ecosystem represents a whopping $20 billion in trade, and the interest in shortening supply chains that has taken hold in recent years has spurred consistent investment across the region.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Europe and Austria are paying a stiff price for the curtailment of Russian gas.—
Stanley Reed,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
-
One source of savings is avoided 'curtailment' of wind farms on Maui, which already produce more power at times than the local grid can handle.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Feb. 2015
Verb
-
Today, Meaghan Garvey offers an ontological bonus cut from her time in Sweden with King Nothingg.—
Meaghan Garvey,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2025
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People will chew on the Broadway first of an Othello directed and lead-produced by black men—Leon and Brian Anthony Moreland, respectively—and cut their assumptions about that to fit their pre-existing views.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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An abbreviated Season 7 will cap The Conners’ run at 112 episodes.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
27 Dec. 2024
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The first is one The Acolyte already tackled, albeit in an abbreviated way: What if the Jedi weren’t always virtuous, what if people with Force abilities aren’t so easily slotted into good or evil, and what if this society’s enshrinement of them is a massive cover-up?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The administration is planning a much broader reduction of its workforce.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
1 Mar. 2025
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Lift restrictions on shooting outside and in public spaces in L.A. (emulating NYC’s successful program) and offer a temporary reduction in permit fees in conjunction with loosening up notification requirements to reduce FilmLA’s staffing costs.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The ornithology curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County placed handfuls of feathers between two small screens and clipped them together with zip ties.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2025
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On Monday, days after the Texas outbreak killed an unvaccinated child, Mr. Cassidy, the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, was clipping down a Capitol corridor when he was asked about Mr. Kennedy.—
Sheryl Gay Stolberg,
New York Times,
6 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 12 Mar. 2025.
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