1
: something cut back
2
: reduction
a cutback in funding
cut back; cutting back; cuts back
: to shorten by cutting : prune
1
: to interrupt the sequence of a plot (as of a movie) by introducing events prior to those last presented
2
: cut down
cut back on sugar
Examples of cutback in a Sentence
Verb
we need to cut back the bushes a bit so that the house number is visible from the street
cut back the meeting so everyone could leave early for the long weekend
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Ranney, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Are Department of Government Efficiency cutbacks in federal government employment, as well as among contractors and grantees, visible yet?
—Harry Holzer, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Homeowners are increasingly forced to cut back on discretionary spending or dip into savings just to keep up with the costs of staying put.
—Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutback
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Noun
Half their goals came from there, with a lethal mix of aerial deliveries and slick cutbacks.
—Julia Ranney, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Are Department of Government Efficiency cutbacks in federal government employment, as well as among contractors and grantees, visible yet?
—Harry Holzer, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
The threat of Thommy cutting back to dribble toward the end line forced the St. Louis back line to drop deeper, opening up space.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Homeowners are increasingly forced to cut back on discretionary spending or dip into savings just to keep up with the costs of staying put.
—Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutback
Cite this Entry
“Cutback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutback. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cutback
1 of 2 noun
cut·back
ˈkət-ˌbak 
: an act or instance of cutting something back
cut back
2 of 2 verbˈkət-ˈbak
1
2
: to reduce something in amount
cut back on smoking
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