belt-tightening
Americannoun
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.
It will nonetheless mean some belt-tightening at an institution that previously kept on receiving increases through some tough years for public spending.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The company is dealing with a belt-tightening consumer base and a weaker housing market.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
Few observers think the union is girding for another showdown, especially at a time when many of its members are struggling to find work amid media consolidation and belt-tightening.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
Analysts and automakers predict U.S. annual sales will fall in 2026 following three straight years of gains as belt-tightening American car buyers collide with tariff costs that companies probably won’t keep absorbing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
Some 30,000 positions will be cut in a belt-tightening move expected to begin on Tuesday, multiple news outlets reported.
From Barron's • Oct. 28, 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.
