retrench
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cut down, reduce, or diminish; curtail (expenses).
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to cut off or remove.
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Military. to protect by a retrenchment.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to reduce or curtail (costs); economize
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(tr) to shorten, delete, or abridge
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(tr) to protect by a retrenchment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retrench
1600–10; < French retrencher (obsolete variant of retrancher ), Middle French retrenchier, equivalent to re- re- + trenchier to trench
Explanation
When times are tight, it's time to retrench. That means rethink your budget, cut back on the spending, and use your pennies wisely. Usually when you have to retrench, it's not a good thing. Companies in the process of retrenching are usually laying off staff or cutting back on employee benefits. But even if you're making gobs of money and your bank account is full of cash, it might be wise to save for a rainy day — that way you won't have to retrench when the going gets tough.
Vocabulary lists containing retrench
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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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.
He added that, unlike in 2010, Democrats likely won’t be able to retrench themselves following big wins, because 2026 does not precede a redistricting year.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
It even stands to benefit if consumers retrench.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
CVS Chief Executive David Joyner said in an interview that the Oak Street business needs to retrench, after coming under pressure from higher medical costs and regulatory changes in the Medicare business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025
Rickey would rather they retrench into a nostalgia tour of laughs and revelry — he’s even found the tan Chrysler LeBaron they used to ride in.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025
His taste of writing was Attic; and his untimely death was an injury to his reputation, if he designed to add to his compositions, and not to retrench them.”
From History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume II by Dunlop, John
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.
