shoestring
Americannoun
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another word for shoelace
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informal
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a very small or petty amount of money (esp in the phrase on a shoestring )
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( as modifier )
a shoestring budget
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Etymology
Origin of shoestring
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.
Because Lululemon was running on a shoestring budget, Wilson rented one hotel room for them to share, with separate beds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
"Back in the day, it was difficult because you're working on a shoestring budget, trying to make things happen," says Painter.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
It boasts two great lead performances, and its shoestring budget makes the entire production all the more impressive.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
BATTAMBANG, Cambodia—Giving tiny loans to shoestring entrepreneurs was meant to be capitalism’s cure for global poverty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Forced to operate on a shoestring, one black school in Durham squeezed 51 students into a single classroom.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
