curtail
to reduce or cut short something
Word origin: From Old French courtault, cut short, related to Latin curtus, shortened.
Curtail in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing curtail in a sentence.
Budget cuts forced the museum to curtail its evening hours.
Budget cuts forced the museum to curtail its hours and cancel several public programs.
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
The negotiator's reputation for blank served her well: rivals who tried to outwait her invariably found that she had already anticipated their stalling and arranged a fallback months in advance.
Using “curtail” well
Curtail means to cut short or reduce, often something ongoing such as rights, hours, or spending. It pairs with trim and shorten and implies a deliberate reduction.
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Questions about “curtail”
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