scrimping 1 of 3

adjective

as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources a scrimping homemaker

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scrimping

2 of 3

noun

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scrimping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of scrimp
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

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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
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
Now, after scrimping, saving and planning, our dream trip is finally happening. — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025 Racing became a way of life, traveling the Midwest and scrimping together money for fuel and parts. — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025 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 Embracing a back-to-safari-basics approach, Enduata aims to focus on what’s important without scrimping on comfort. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026 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
  1. economical
  2. saving
  3. conserving
  4. economy
  5. economizing
  6. sparing
Adjective
  • Ronaldo is clearly more economical with his running — staying more static between the width of the goalposts — meaning Portugal are less fluid across the front line.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • At these densities, air cooling is often no longer sufficient or economical.
    — Phillip Marangella, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of economical
Noun
  • Studies on the psychology of saving have found attaching tangible milestones to financial planning, such as a goal to buy a home, tend to instill better savings habits in young people.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • The remaining 30% is reserved for improving your financial future through saving, investing or paying down debt.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Definition of saving
Verb
  • This will be a physically gruelling knockout stage, the first World Cup with five knockout matches, and conserving energy for later matches makes sense.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • This song helps reinforce lessons like picking up litter, conserving water, and planting trees.
    — Parents, Parents, 3 July 2026
Definition of conserving
Noun
  • The spiritual economy is not necessarily about outright faith, but rather ritual, emotion and a sense of agency.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • Budget-conscious travelers may notice a widening gap between the back of the plane and up front as the carriers increasingly build their businesses around selling first-class, business-class and premium-economy seats.
    — Rio Yamat, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of economy
Verb
  • In short, economizing on non-defense outlays simply has to bring mandatory spending under review.
    — Editorial, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
  • In short, economizing on non-defense outlays simply has to bring mandatory spending under review.
    — Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of economizing
Verb
  • There is less and less of it as the series goes on, because the idea was to be as sparing with it as possible.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 June 2026
  • Her arm absorbed the blow, sparing Lizzie, but cutting Freeman to the bone, a wound that would ail her for years to come.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 22 June 2026
Definition of sparing

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Cite this Entry

“Scrimping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrimping. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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