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.
She and her husband have cut back on expenses to afford the combined $1,300 a month they pay for Medigap.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
The surge in pink slips started in 2023, when companies that had gone on hiring sprees during the COVID-19 pandemic began to cut back.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Customers hit by the cost of living have also cut back on spending, especially on dining out recently.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
State media has carried repeated appeals for people to cut back their use of water, electricity and gasoline.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 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.
