scale back

British  

verb

1. (adverb) to reduce or make a reduction in the level of activity, extent, numbers, etc

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Example Sentences

That’s because if high-income shoppers scale back their spending, then the other horizontal lines of the “E” — the lower and middle classes — may not have enough spending power to keep the economy afloat.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Although the expansion improved ratings, the hosts have asked to scale back so they can pursue other projects at the network.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

“Crude’s sharp weekly advance has pushed inflation expectations higher and led markets to scale back the probability of near-term Federal Reserve easing,” said Nexo analyst Iliya Kalchev in a note Friday.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

—The dollar rose as strong U.S. economic data and the potential for higher inflation caused by the Middle East conflict has prompted markets to scale back bets for further Fed rate cuts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Several months after Barack’s announcement in Springfield and with the support of my colleagues, I’d decided to scale back to part-time hours, knowing it was the only sustainable way to keep going.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• curtail
• cut back
• cut down
• diminish
• phase out
• reduce
• retrench
• scale down
• shrink
• trim