curtail
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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curtails,
present (3rd person singular)
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curtailed,
past participle, past
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curtailing
present participle
noun
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a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing.
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Also called curtail step. a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.
verb
Synonym Usage
See shorten.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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curtailsimple
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curtailssimple
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have curtailedperfect
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has curtailedperfect
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am curtailingprogressive
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are curtailingprogressive
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is curtailingprogressive
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have been curtailingperfect progressive
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has been curtailingperfect progressive
Past
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curtailedsimple
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had curtailedperfect
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was curtailingprogressive
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were curtailingprogressive
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had been curtailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of curtail1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English curtailen “to restrict” (said of royal succession or inheritance), probably a conflation of Middle French courtau(l)d ( see curtal) and Middle English taillen “to cut” ( see taille, tailor 1)
Origin of curtail2
Probably alteration, by folk etymology, of curtal
Explanation
To curtail something is to slow it down, put restrictions on it, or stop it entirely. If I give up cake, I am curtailing my cake-eating. Curtail is an official-sounding word for stopping or slowing things down. The police try to curtail crime — they want there to be less crime in the world. A company may want to curtail their employees' computer time, so they spend more time working and less time goofing around. Teachers try to curtail whispering and note-passing in class. When something is curtailed, it's either stopped entirely or stopped quite a bit — it's cut short.
Vocabulary lists containing curtail
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "B" & "C"
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This Week in Words: Feb. 25 - Mar. 2, 2018
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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.
See Examples For:
GM resurrected its beloved Chevrolet Bolt earlier this year but decided to curtail production to one shift instead of two, and will phase the vehicle out in 2027 to make way for gas-powered vehicles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Executive adviser Flavio Briatore, who has caused controversy off track this weekend, persuaded Renault to curtail their F1 engine programme at the end of last year and switch to customer Mercedes power-units.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Paramount and other groups, including cinema chain owners and some Hollywood unions, have agitated for a settlement to curtail months of uncertainty over whether the deal will go through.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
That move may encourage older adults to actually seek out Medicare Advantage to curtail their healthcare costs, analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
To curtail Caesar’s annoying interrogations, Lumbly quickly unhooked the boxcar door and slid it wide.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
“We must also be very clear that any response to these abhorrent attacks that curtails our civil liberties would be wrong,” said Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
But Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said it would be wrong if Wednesday's "abhorrent" attack "curtails our civil liberties".
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
This hits the economy in two ways: boosting inflation and dampening disposable income which curtails growth.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 2, 2026
A wider or protracted conflict in the Middle East that curtails oil flow is certainly a risk.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
It is the neglect of these few precautions that so sadly curtails the bill of sale of many a planter.
From The Peanut Plant Its Cultivation And Uses by B. W. Jones
“There are significant offshore resources in existing leases that might be curtailed by the legislation,” said Rock Zierman, chief executive of the California Independent Petroleum Assn., in an email.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
The decision to play in neutral stadiums has not curtailed opposition.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
China, South Korea and Japan have curtailed exports of fuel as well, after crude supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz stalled for months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Some capacity could be redirected toward safety testing, improving models and serving customers, but those workloads may not replace curtailed frontier training dollar for dollar.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
My love for reading removed me from the streets and curtailed my involvement in gangs.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
As well as curtailing its coverage, RTE will not take advertising or sponsorship income from the matches, saying it will only "meet its contractual obligations" to broadcast the fixtures.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
MLS’s developmental programs are too restrictive and exclusive — they’re not developing more soccer players, they’re curtailing who can play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
That trade involved a shift out of currencies and into gold, silver and bitcoin on worries that governments are spending more and not curtailing debt.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
California is curtailing a program that offered Medicaid coverage for people living in the U.S. unlawfully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Poor child, she was bewildered by the many injunctions we laid upon her, and the curtailing of her freedom tried her sorely, though not a word of complaint came from her.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
