cut back 1 of 3

verb

Definition of cut backnext
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

cut-back

2 of 3

adjective

as in curtailed

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

cutback

3 of 3

noun

as in curtailment

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 cut back
Verb
In one particular intimate clip sequence, Sophia sits alone in a dark room before the trailer cuts back into a flash of the frenetic energy of KATSEYE’s public life. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026 Some perennials should be cut back in the fall to reduce pests and diseases like powdery mildew (and to keep your beds looking tidy). — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Back-to-back Javonte Williams runs got the offense to the 20-yard line, including the second one going for 15 yards after a cut-back to the left side. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026 The Vikings want to base out of the wide zone, where offensive linemen fire off the ball in tandem and running backs find clear cut-back lanes. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 12 June 2026
Noun
The entertainment industry, one of the city’s defining economic engines, has slowed due to production cutbacks and broader changes in Hollywood. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 31 May 2026 The cutbacks are going far beyond a friendly prod to boost NATO defense spending. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cut back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut back
  1. shave
  2. shorten
  3. abbreviated
  4. curtailment
  5. cut
  6. reduction
  7. clip
  8. shrinkage
Verb
  • Judge Underhill could have added to the 10 years of incarceration that the federal sentencing guidelines recommend but instead departed downward from them and shaved three years off them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The option could be useful when customers don’t have enough miles for the entire ticket and are looking to shave some cash off the ticket price.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • Repeatable return could help Exobiosphere shorten experimental cycles and advance promising findings toward practical applications.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Potentially lifesaving and cost-saving decisions to shorten courses, redistribute staff, streamline, or expand resources could come from quantified inputs, in conjunction with prior experience.
    — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of shorten
Adjective
  • In recent years, shorts have been getting smaller, shorter, more abbreviated.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 22 May 2026
  • Tessa Francis fired an abbreviated no-hitter with eight strikeouts, while Ashley Mortensen went 3-for-4 as Marblehead routed Winthrop 12-0 in five innings in the Northeastern Conference.
    — Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Definition of abbreviated
Noun
  • Such environmental waivers are not arbitrary decisions but legal mechanisms, ordered by local authorities, to prevent grid instability, for example when loss of wind generation would be exacerbated by curtailment of thermal plants.
    — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • This can reduce the strain on the electric grid and help prevent the need for involuntary power curtailment or power brownouts, Holran notes.
    — Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Definition of curtailment
Verb
  • For decades, the European Union has led the world in implementing policies designed to cut emissions, creating the world’s most important price on carbon and crafting the rules of the road for a wide range of regulatory efforts.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Staff cut raw chicken and then proceeded to cut lamb without washing, rinsing and sanitizing cutting boards and prep tables.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut
Noun
  • Twin Cities Marathon reported similar information, though without detailed analysis of risk reduction methods.
    — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Staff reductions are expected to be brutal, and with so many duplicative roles across HBO Max and Paramount+, many talented executives will lose their jobs.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduction
Verb
  • Ohtani clipped Drake Baldwin’s mitt with his bat and was awarded first base for catcher’s interference.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Gen Z Wants to Go Ghost, Not Girlboss That said, the characters do have to be worth clipping, and love him or hate him, Ryan Murphy has always had a knack for creating fictional people who feel bigger than whatever nonsensical story spawned them.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of clip
Noun
  • Some cracks might be harmless, normal shrinkage cracks, but others might indicate a serious structural issue.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
  • There is another extreme consequence of this rapid stellar core shrinkage.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrinkage

Browse Nearby Words

cut-and-paste
cut back
cut-back
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cut back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20back. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All