curtail
verb
cur·tail
(ˌ)kər-ˈtāl 
curtailed; curtailing; curtails
: to make less by or as if by cutting off or away some part
curtail the power of the executive branch
curtail inflation
Some school activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.
Synonyms
Examples of curtail in a Sentence
The new laws are an effort to curtail illegal drug use.
School activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.
Recent Examples on the Web
While management has said podcasts will turn a profit this year, Spotify also fired thousands of employees and curtailed its investment in original audio programming.
—
Lucas Shaw, Fortune Europe, 3 Apr. 2024
Such a law also could end up curtailing the flexibility in work hours that many consider a perk.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Until the past few years, the assumption has been that the net-zero drive would have by now begun to curtail further increases in global crude demand and placed it on a downward path.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere, casinos in the Philippines catering to illicit gamblers from China have spawned across the country with authorities in Manila struggling to curtail the rising number of gambling establishments used as fronts for scam centers and other fraudulent crimes.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
But Bush didn't issue those guarantees until the Israeli government agreed to curtail settlement activity in occupied territory.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Cutting Back: Two major American newspaper chains, Gannett and McClatchy, plan to drastically curtail their business relationships with The Associated Press.
—John Koblin, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Traditionally, the Fed raises interest rates to squelch inflation by lifting borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, thus curtailing economic activity.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Myanmar’s democratic transition under Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi further curtailed the region’s role in drugs, with U.N.-backed crop substitution programs transforming crimson poppy fields into fruit orchards and tea plantations.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
Lucas Shaw, Fortune Europe, 3 Apr. 2024
Such a law also could end up curtailing the flexibility in work hours that many consider a perk.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Until the past few years, the assumption has been that the net-zero drive would have by now begun to curtail further increases in global crude demand and placed it on a downward path.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere, casinos in the Philippines catering to illicit gamblers from China have spawned across the country with authorities in Manila struggling to curtail the rising number of gambling establishments used as fronts for scam centers and other fraudulent crimes.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
But Bush didn't issue those guarantees until the Israeli government agreed to curtail settlement activity in occupied territory.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Cutting Back: Two major American newspaper chains, Gannett and McClatchy, plan to drastically curtail their business relationships with The Associated Press.
—John Koblin, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Traditionally, the Fed raises interest rates to squelch inflation by lifting borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, thus curtailing economic activity.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Myanmar’s democratic transition under Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi further curtailed the region’s role in drugs, with U.N.-backed crop substitution programs transforming crimson poppy fields into fruit orchards and tea plantations.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curtail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near curtail
Cite this Entry
“Curtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtail. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curtail
verb
cur·tail
(ˌ)kər-ˈtā(ə)l
: to make less by or as if by cutting off part of
curtailment
noun
-ˈtāl-mənt
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