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.
Visitors to Skegness say they still love their holidays, but are doing their best to cut back on spending.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Not wanting to risk big fines that could wipe out most or all of her earnings, she decided to cut back dramatically and leave nine acres dry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Outbreaks of cyclospora are rocking every corner of the produce industry as many consumers avoid supermarkets’ fresh produce aisles and cut back on visits to some salad-heavy chains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Consumer prices rose 3.34 percent in June, and growing economic strain triggered protests by students demanding the government stop excessive spending, including on its billion-dollar free-meals scheme, which has since been cut back.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Their new, higher rents meant that they'd have to cut back on their spending, to work longer hours, or try to wean themselves off their costly psychiatrists.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
