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 noun
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

Examples of curtail in a Sentence

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 The food supply is threatened, and access to water and health care has been severely curtailed. Andre Paultre, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Voting rights advocates worry laws will curtail access In her apartment with a view of Charlotte’s skyline, Rosemaria Bowden stood next to her sofa near a blood-pressure cuff and a bowl of plastic fruit on her coffee table, digging into her purse for her identification. Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024 Four years down the line, Kansas lawmakers are still pursuing legislation as a result of those frustrations, honing in on efforts to curtail the powers of public health officials and prevent hospitals from denying patients in-person visitors. Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 29 Feb. 2024 So many other of these multisensory adventures, however, have been curtailed by practical realities. Chloe Schama, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 On Thursday, a second clinic, Alabama Fertility Specialists, also curtailed IVF treatments. Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 This tracks not only with the signs of greater skepticism about college but with the growing attempts to curtail discussion of topics around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jamie Merisotis, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Yale University tracks the companies curtailing their Russian business practices — and those that remain in the country. Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The ship was in port for the day at a private dock that has controversially been allowed to host them, despite a 2020 vote to curtail cruise ships. Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curtail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near curtail

Cite this Entry

“Curtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtail. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

curtail

verb
cur·​tail (ˌ)kər-ˈtā(ə)l How to pronounce curtail (audio)
: to make less by or as if by cutting off part of
curtailer noun
curtailment
-ˈtāl-mənt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on curtail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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