Cutback
noun ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A reduction of some sort in an existing program or service. countable, uncountable
"Fifteen more proposals to reverse historical cutbacks in passenger services and the size of the rail network have secured development funding."
- 2 a reduction in quantity or rate wordnet
- 3 Maneuver where the surfer turns and surfs back towards where the wave is breaking. countable, uncountable
"The cutback is one of the sport's three fundamental turns, along with the bottom turn and top turn. "It's the purest power move in the book," Australian surf journalist Nick Carroll wrote in 2000."
- 4 Solvent-thinned bitumen used in cold process roofing adhesives, cements and coatings. countable, uncountable
- 5 An offensive pass played into a position further from the attacking goal line. countable, uncountable
"Lee Barnard swung at Chaplow's cutback and missed completely and then was just too far away to connect with Harding's flashing ball across the face of goal."
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- 6 An inversion feature of a rollercoaster, similar to a corkscrew but with the second half reversed. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Tom is out of work during the holidays due to a cutback at the steel plant."
Etymology
Deverbal from cut back.
Related phrases
More for "cutback"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.