cut back
Idioms-
Shorten by cutting, prune, as in It's time we cut back these bushes . [1860s]
-
Reduce, decrease, as in They are going to cut back defense spending , or We have to cut back production . [c. 1940] Also see cut to the bone .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cut back on plastic use and stop indulging in fast fashion.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2024
Cut back plants to the base — legumes will release extra nitrogen from their root nodules.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2023
Cut back on carbs, and you cut back on those.
From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2021
Cut back on the visits and weather her inevitable complaints about how you’re keeping her from the children.
From Slate • Jul. 5, 2021
Cut back to the vent; cut around it, and loosen.
From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
