CUTBACK Synonyms: 166 Similar and Opposite Words

cut back 1 of 3

verb

Definition of cut back

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

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

Air advocates used this year's Clean Air Day to encourage more people to cut back on driving and help clear Sacramento's skies. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 That would allow the market to self-correct by cutting back on spending. — Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 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

Verb

Especially right now, since Amazon just shaved 25% off for the Prime Day afterparty.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Apparently, Tony Romo shaved two strokes off his final round scorecard.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of shave

Verb

But none of these workers can shorten a licensing timeline, self-fund a year without pay, or buy time on a fabrication line.

— Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Mechanical recycling shortens cotton fibers, and the company recommends combining them with carrier fibers to maintain the quality and performance of finished textiles.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 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

Inspectors observed cutting boards with cut marks and no longer cleanable in the first-floor kitchen.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Ellison has taken an opposing view from his predecessors who confronted crumbling industry economics by cutting expenditures to boost their corporate bottom lines.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut

Noun

Hinson said the bill’s reductions to Medicaid spending for Iowa will be offset by the Rural Health Transformation Program, which allots $50 billion divided among all 50 states over the next five years.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Higher borrowing costs will eventually force a reduction in credit and spending, weighing on economic activity and potentially spilling over into equity markets, Dalio said.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 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

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cut-and-paste

cut back

cut-back

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Style

“Cut back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20back. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cut back

verb

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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