curb
to restrain or keep in check an impulse, tendency, or activity
Word origin: From Old French courbe, a curved bit, via Latin curvus, bent.
Curb in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing curb in a sentence.
The new regulations were designed to curb excessive spending by government agencies.
The central bank raised interest rates in an effort to curb runaway inflation.
Using “curb” well
As a verb, curb means to hold something in check and pairs with restrain and suppress. The image is of a curb bit used to control a horse, which underlies the figurative sense.
More GRE words starting with C
a small secret group plotting against a government or authority
having a hidden or mysterious meaning understood only by initiates
a harsh, jarring mixture of sounds
to obtain something by begging or sponging off others
falling off or shed at an early stage, especially of plant parts
to coax someone into doing something through flattery or persuasion
an event causing great damage, loss, or distress
misty, dim, or dark, and therefore obscure
Questions about “curb”
Learn words the way the GRE tests them.
Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.