Cut back meaning
Cut back means to spend, use or do less of something, often to save money. It can also mean to cut branches off a plant to make it smaller.
cut something back
cut back · cut · cutting
We’re cutting back on eating out this month.
Cut back meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Spend, use or do less of something, often to save money
cut something back
- We’re cutting back on eating out this month.
- The company cut staff hours back in the winter.
- If prices go up again, we’ll have to cut back.
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2
Cut branches off a plant to make it smaller
cut something back
- Cut back the roses in early spring.
- The hedge is huge. We need to cut it back.
- Dad cut back the tree so it didn’t touch the roof.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use cut back in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is cut back separable?
Cut back can have no object: We need to cut back. Use on for the thing: cut back on taxis. With a direct object it is separable: cut back spending, cut it back.
The noun is one word: cutbacks, usually plural, for money cuts: There have been cutbacks at the hospital.
Verb tenses for cut back
| Present | I cut back · she cuts back |
|---|---|
| Past | cut back |
| Present perfect | have cut back |
| -ing form | cutting back |
Common mistakes with cut back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We must cut back our spending of 10 percent.
Right: We must cut back our spending by 10 percent.
Use by for the size of the cut.
Wrong: I’m cutting back sweets.
Right: I’m cutting back on sweets.
With no direct object, use on before the thing.
Wrong: The hospital had a lot of cut backs.
Right: The hospital had a lot of cutbacks.
The noun is one word: cutbacks.
Synonyms and opposites of cut back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- cut downhave less, often food or habits
- tighten your beltspend less because you have less money
- trimcut a small amount off a plant or a budget
Opposite
- splash outUK, spend a lot of money on something nice
- increasemake an amount bigger
Cut back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Money is tight, so we’re ___ on holidays this year.
Cut back on something means spend or use less of it.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use cut back on + the thing.
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3“There were big cutbacks at my office.” What happened?
Cutbacks are reductions in spending or staff.
More phrasal verbs with cut
5 phrasal verbs start with cut. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Cut back FAQ
Questions people ask about cut back.
What is the difference between cut back and cut down?
Both mean reduce. Cut back is more common for money, staff and spending. Cut down is more common for food and habits.
What are cutbacks?
Cutbacks are cuts in money, jobs or services, often by a government or company: cutbacks in public transport.
When should you cut back plants?
Gardeners cut back many plants in late winter or early spring, before new growth. Check the advice for your plant.
Use cut back in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.