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Synonyms

belt-tightening

American  
[belt-tahyt-n-ing] / ˈbɛltˌtaɪt n ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a curtailment in spending; period of economizing.

    The mayor ordered a belt-tightening for all city offices.

Etymology

Origin of belt-tightening

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

Wolfe doesn’t have to leave home to find tales of belt-tightening; she’s feeling the pinch herself.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

But aware of the risks, it has brought in a series of belt-tightening measures - including declaring Wednesdays a public holiday and bringing in fuel rationing.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

It has also argued that it could turn belt-tightening to its advantage by offering frozen versions of eat-out favorites such as P.F.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

But growing AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and belt-tightening driven by higher costs likely played a role as well.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 6, 2025

The region’s slowdown has been brutal: the twin strikes of 2023, studio belt-tightening, productions lured out of state and wildfires that shuttered work this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 25, 2025

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.