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.
Banks would increase loan rates, they’d cut back on riskier lending, and they’d merge to save costs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Soaring fuel prices are forcing motorists to cut back on everyday spending and adding tens of thousands of pounds a week to business costs, with petrol at its highest level since November 2022.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Better dashboards and observability platforms can help executives identify those use cases and cut back on them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Six are run by first-time female showrunners, a notable number at a time when the industry has cut back and women have historically had fewer chances to lead series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
I cut back the other way, but I was still covered in the other comer.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
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.
