cut back
Trim the budget
Cut back means to reduce, especially spending, consumption, or activity: We need to cut back on expenses, He's trying to cut back on sugar.
The phrase suggests deliberate restraint rather than elimination.
A cutback (noun) is such a reduction: Budget cutbacks forced layoffs.
In gardening, to cut back plants is to prune them for healthier growth.
Reduce scale or staff
- decreaseBecome or make smaller
- diminishTo make smaller
- lessenReduce in degree
- minimizeReduce to smallest extent
contract · shrink · curtail · pare · retrench · taper · wane · mitigate
Remove unwanted edges
- shearsHeavy-duty cutting blades
- clippersHandheld cutting implements
- barberProfessional who trims locks
- hairstyleArranged head covering
buzzcut · fade · neaten · taper · edging · grooming · shave · salon
Accumulated money kept
- expenditureMoney paid out
- deficitAmount still owed
- allocationDistribution of shares
- fiscalOf public revenue
economy · finance · subsidy · recession · adjustment · downsize · overhead · restraint
Make less complex
- declutterRemove unnecessary items
- minimalistOne favoring bare essentials
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- essentialsIndispensable items or elements
moderation · restraint · sacrifice · self-denial · temperance · abstinence · sobriety · conservation
downsize
Reduce scale or staff
minimize · contract · shrink · curtail · pare · retrench · taper · wane · mitigate · slash
trim
Remove unwanted edges
- shearsHeavy-duty cutting blades
- clippersHandheld cutting implements
- barberProfessional who trims locks
hairstyle · buzzcut · fade · neaten · taper · edging · grooming · shave · salon · stylist
savings
Accumulated money kept
- expenditureMoney paid out
- deficitAmount still owed
- allocationDistribution of shares
fiscal · economy · finance · subsidy · recession · adjustment · downsize · overhead · restraint · efficiency
simplify
Make less complex
- declutterRemove unnecessary items
- minimalistOne favoring bare essentials
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
essentials · moderation · restraint · sacrifice · self-denial · temperance · abstinence · sobriety · conservation · downsizing
shears
Heavy-duty cutting blades
- lopperTwo-handled cutting tool
- clippersHandheld cutting implements
- deadheadingRemoving wilted flowers
thinning · clipping · shaping · topiary · pinching · hedging · bonsai · coppicing · pollarding · rosebush
- diminisheddevalued, lessened, decreased, depreciated, reduced
- scaling downscale down, ramp down, pare down, trim down, whittle down
- pruningprune, topiary, clip, hedge trimming, trim
- resolutionslose weight, quit smoking, save money, eat healthy, get fit
- frugalityfrugality, thrift, frugal, penny-pinching, economize
- Reduceshrink, diminish, decrease, lessen, reduce
cut backstep up
Increase or advance
intensify · double down · ramp up · escalate · accelerate