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shoestring

American  
[shoo-string] / ˈʃuˌstrɪŋ /

noun

  1. a shoelace.

  2. a very small amount of money.

  3. shoestrings. shoestring potatoes.

adjective

  1. consisting of or characterized by a small amount of money.

    living on a shoestring budget.
shoestring British  
/ ˈʃuːˌstrɪŋ /

noun

  1. another word for shoelace

  2. informal

    1. a very small or petty amount of money (esp in the phrase on a shoestring )

    2. ( as modifier )

      a shoestring budget
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
shoestring Idioms  

  1. see on a shoestring.

Etymology

Origin of shoestring

First recorded in 1610–20; shoe + string

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.

It was emblematic of her and Corbet’s then-burgeoning philosophy: of making lavish films on a shoestring, using stunning foreign environments to portray a bygone America and roping crew members and family into the collaboration.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

On the grandest stage, they simply couldn’t overcome their richer, name-brand foes, always in need of one or two more good players that they couldn’t afford on their shoestring budget.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

"It was all done on a shoestring budget," he said.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

Don’t be shy about shape or size — shoestring, steak-cut, crinkle, waffle, sweet potato — I’ll even give a pass to tater tots for the sake of this exercise.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

When we got to the bottom, the shoestring of my new red tennis shoes got caught and the steps kept rollin’, pullin’ me and my foot with them.

From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper

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.