penny-pinching 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of penny-pinchingnext
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible the new CEO's penny-pinching ways have helped to keep the company out of bankruptcy

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penny-pinching

2 of 2

noun

ˈpe-nē-ˌpin-chiŋ How to pronounce penny-pinching (audio)
1
as in saving
careful management of material resources they'll have to practice some penny-pinching if they want to save for a house

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2
as in economy
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money reusing your tea bags is perhaps taking penny-pinching too far

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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 penny-pinching
Noun
The penny-pinching paid off in 2023, when Berry bought her two-bedroom, one-bath home in Charleston, Tennessee, a small town about 45 miles outside of Chattanooga. — Alex Veiga, Fortune, 20 May 2026 But for now, penny-pinching can be accomplished with relatively inconsequential basketball moves. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026 Some of these treats date as far back as the 1700s, while others were developed during the penny-pinching of the Great Depression or the liveliness of the 1950s. — Mack Swenson, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025 Everton have spent around £90million ($122m) so far this summer, a considerable departure from the days of penny-pinching towards the end of former owner Farhad Moshiri’s tenure. — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-pinching
  1. careful
  2. saving
  3. economy
  4. selfish
  5. frugality
  6. economizing
  7. miserly
  8. thrift
Adjective
  • Democratic congressional candidates will also need to be careful about balancing partisan messages to their base with more measured appeals to independent voters.
    — Julio Borquez, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But perhaps the biggest challenge of all was being extremely careful not to pass moral judgment on the story or any of the characters being portrayed.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of careful
Noun
  • The debate over daylight saving time has stretched on for years.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and potentially more hazardous winter mornings when children will be waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in darkness.
    — Melissa Goldin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of saving
Noun
  • India, which remains the world's fastest-growing major economy, is among the countries most vulnerable to the supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Argentina’s program is poised to be one of the most popular options on the market, due to the country's comparative proximity to the United States, strong economy, and passport power.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of economy
Adjective
  • Furthermore, the equalities that do exist often emerge from selfish motives.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Trask boys are meant to represent a spectrum of good to bad, but as they’re encouraged to make individual choices, that also opens up the possibility of evil choices, selfish choices, destructive choices.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of selfish
Noun
  • In real life, Andrew’s frugality drove a wedge between him and his daughters.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • His frugality has been well-documented, and his refusal to treat Blazers operations like an NBA team rather than an NHL one is concerning.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of frugality
Noun
  • Inflation continues to pressure consumers The holiday economizing comes as Americans continue to battle inflation, which rose after the COVID-19 pandemic to levels not seen since the 1980s.
    — Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Nov. 2025
Definition of economizing
Adjective
  • The plot involves two sons of rich, miserly fathers in love with girls their fathers will never approve of and what happens when the fathers’ devious servants decide to give the boys a hand.
    — Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
  • The already rich reap the most, though the thin spreading of payments means the payouts are relatively miserly for the game’s elite.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of miserly
Noun
  • Most thrift stores will not accept these items because of liability risks, testing requirements, and disposal costs.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 28 Sep. 2026
  • At the end of the day, heed these words of advice for any dedicated thrift store shopper who knows the disappointment of leaving a beautiful but flawed item behind.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of thrift

Browse Nearby Words

penny-pinchers
penny-pinching
penny-wise
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Cite this Entry

“Penny-pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-pinching. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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