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

“So I wear that when I work with my patients, when they look horrified or complain, I quietly cut back on the laughing gas.”

From Los Angeles Times

ICE has also broadened its pool of potential applicants by dropping age requirements, eliminating Spanish-language proficiency requirements and cutting back on training for new hires with law enforcement experience.

From Los Angeles Times

This could include medicines or specific lifestyle advice - such as people likely to develop some liver disorders benefitting from cutting back their alcohol intake more than the general population.

From BBC

The airline industry is perhaps the best real-time indicator of the U.S. economy, as travel is one of the first things that businesses and consumers cut back on when they sense difficult times ahead.

From Los Angeles Times

Now 17, he says going to the gym has become a bit of an addiction - he's there five or six nights a week - and along with his mates, he bulks out and cuts back.

From BBC

Related Words

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