cut back
Idioms-
Shorten by cutting, prune, as in It's time we cut back these bushes . [1860s]
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Today, it still relies for 64 percent of its annual budget on the United States and European Union, who are cutting back support.
From Barron's
In an uncertain economy muddied by tariffs and an immigration crackdown, consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending and increasingly seeking the best value on essentials such as lunch and dinner.
From Los Angeles Times
Somewhat ironically, Chan attributes the drink’s popularity to a growing contingent of customers who want to cut back on booze.
Devoting more money to capital expenditures is forcing the hyperscalers to cut back on returning capital to investors.
From MarketWatch
Sales at U.S retailers fizzled at the end of the holiday shopping season, suggesting consumers worried about the economy might be cutting back on spending as the new year got underway.
From MarketWatch
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.
