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
TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Big reasons for the gap between California and other states include sluggish hiring in the the state’s entertainment industry and cutbacks in big-technology and agricultural employment.
—David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2025
The Editors, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025
One week after the launch of the EU Omnibus regulatory overhaul that is aimed at cutting back regulation (especially in the environmental sector) and regulatory compliance across the EU, the Commission is expected to launch a paper on Wednesday (5th) entitled the ‘Automotive Action Plan’.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutback
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Noun
In a fiercely divided country, many saw the cutbacks through their own political lens.
—TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Big reasons for the gap between California and other states include sluggish hiring in the the state’s entertainment industry and cutbacks in big-technology and agricultural employment.
—David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
Overall, however, car manufacturers are likely to be investing less, not more, in the U.S. Uncertainty encourages consumers and companies to cut back, not spend (consumer confidence fell by the most in nearly four years last month).
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025
One week after the launch of the EU Omnibus regulatory overhaul that is aimed at cutting back regulation (especially in the environmental sector) and regulatory compliance across the EU, the Commission is expected to launch a paper on Wednesday (5th) entitled the ‘Automotive Action Plan’.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 6 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 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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