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
- retrenchable adjective
- retrencher noun
- unretrenchable adjective
- unretrenched adjective
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
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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
Ford announced in December that it expected to take $19.5 billion in charges to retrench amid sinking EV demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
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
How could it be that a man who had so much wit, had not enough to retrench these egregious faults?
From A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10) From "The Works of Voltaire - A Contemporary Version" by Fran?ois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
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.
