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curtail

verb

cur·​tail (ˌ)kər-ˈtāl How to pronounce curtail (audio)
curtailed; curtailing; curtails

transitive verb

: 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.
curtailer
(ˌ)kər-ˈtā-lər How to pronounce curtail (audio)
noun

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for curtail

shorten, curtail, abbreviate, abridge, retrench mean to reduce in extent.

shorten implies reduction in length or duration.

shorten a speech

curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy.

ceremonies curtailed because of rain

abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part.

using an abbreviated title

abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result.

the abridged version of the novel

retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive.

declining business forced the company to retrench

Example Sentences

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 Since taking office, President Biden has ramped up previous U.S. administrations’ efforts to curtail Chinese expansion into the Indian and Pacific Oceans and has rallied countries such as India and Australia to help in that effort. Niha Masih, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022 Plus, food prices are largely unaffected by current government efforts to curtail spiraling costs. Danielle Wiener-bronner, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 But efforts to curtail China’s science and technology industries through trade sanctions on companies like Huawei restrict American companies from doing business with Chinese tech firms. Tommy Shih, The Conversation, 13 July 2022 Across the country, almost all government efforts to curtail the coronavirus have evaporated. Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 27 June 2022 The unusual provision shows how much power the gun lobby has wielded in the nation’s statehouses to fend off any efforts to curtail access to firearms in the wake of mass shootings. Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2022 Efforts to curtail the spread of corporate homeownership are slow going at the federal level, too. New York Times, 23 Apr. 2022 Environmentalists are challenging the proposal, saying adding fossil fuel-burning facilities would undermine efforts to curtail greenhouse gases warming the planet. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2022 Now Act, which would dramatically accelerate efforts around the state to curtail use of fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Scott Dance, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from earlier curtal to dock an animal's tail, from curtal, noun, animal with a docked tail, from Middle French courtault — more at curtal

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curtail was in 1580

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