cut back

1. Shorten by cutting, prune, as in It's time we cut back these bushes . [1860s]

2. 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

She also could cut back to a 40-hour week and be at home with her son more often.

From The Daily Beast

The Volcker Rule, a component of the far-reaching Dodd-Frank law, required large banks to cut back on proprietary trading.

From The Daily Beast

Chipotle noted in a recent investor letter that they might cut back on their signature guacamole because of avocado scarcity.

From The Daily Beast

In 2012, some states, including Florida, cut back on early voting, with predictably unsettling results.

From The Daily Beast

This implicitly rebukes North Carolina as it moves to cut back on early balloting as part of its wildly controversial plan.

From The Daily Beast

Mr. Stallings, may I cut back some of the Diamond D animals in the mixed herd?

From Project Gutenberg

Many of these growers now cut back their seedlings to bare limbs, and grafted the new orange on these branches.

From Project Gutenberg

Every day he planted new flowers, cut back rough bushes, and coaxed out graceful ones.

From Project Gutenberg

I cut back to Carrie Johnstone, the footage of her sitting at the board table with Rooney, laughing.

From Project Gutenberg

And there's the college over there; we will go home that way, and find out a short cut back to Elm Fields.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• curb
• curtail
• cut down
• decrease
• lessen
• lower
• pare
• prune
• reduce
• retrench
• shorten
• slash
• trim