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Glite Dictionary
to prune the budget

to prune the budget

4.9
To cut spending by removing unnecessary costs from a budget
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : recortar el presupuesto
  • If we want to stay profitable, we'll need to prune the budget and remove any unnecessary spending.

Examples

  • We need to prune the budget this quarter.

  • They regularly prune the budget to adapt to changing market conditions.

  • Due to lower revenues, the finance manager had to prune the budget significantly this year.

  • The manager decided to prune the budget for next year.

  • The finance committee decided to prune the budget to allocate more funds for the new project.

  • In light of the recent economic downturn, many organizations are forced to prune the budget significantly.

  • To ensure financial stability, the city council must prune the budget and eliminate unnecessary expenses.

Synonyms

to save
vsto prune the budget
644 1.0

Use less of something to avoid waste

is a deliberate removal of unneeded financial items rather than general frugality
to save money
vsto prune the budget
257 1.3

To put money aside instead of spending it now

focuses on selective cuts inside a financial plan rather than saving overall
to cut back
vsto prune the budget
169 2.9

To reduce how much you buy and use to save money and be healthier

is narrower, aimed at removing specific unnecessary financial items
to cut back on
vsto prune the budget
75 3.2

Use less of something to save money or be healthier

is applied specifically to a financial plan and its unnecessary items
to cut down
vsto prune the budget
65 2.7

To make something smaller in amount or number

is intentional pruning of unnecessary items within a financial plan
to cut costs
vsto prune the budget
30 3.0

To spend less money to save or make more money

is more selective, targeting unnecessary items rather than broad cuts
to economize
vsto prune the budget
  • US
7 5.0

Use money or resources carefully to avoid waste

is more about removing specific unnecessary line items in finances
to retrench
vsto prune the budget
  • Formal
5 8.1

To reduce spending because of money problems

is usually proactive, pruning unneeded items not only reacting to hardship
to drive down costs
vsto prune the budget
4 3.3

To reduce expenses in a company or organization

is similar but applies narrowly to removing unnecessary financial items
to slash spending
vsto prune the budget
4 4.2

To cut the amount of money a person or group uses by a lot

is milder and more selective, focusing on trimming unnecessary items
to prune
vsto prune the budget
2 4.2

To remove things you do not need to make something smaller or work better

is the same action applied specifically to a financial plan
to save a buck
vsto prune the budget
  • Informal
2 6.4

Spend less money than usual when you buy something

involves selective cuts across a financial plan rather than small personal savings
to curtail spending
vsto prune the budget
1 4.3

To spend less money to save or avoid debt

focuses on targeted removal within a financial plan rather than general saving

Antonyms

to bump up the budget
3.9

To increase the money available for a project or plan

How Much

to prune the budget
4.9
to cut costs
30 3.0

Surface Forms

prune the budget infinitive
pruned the budget past
pruned the budget past participle
pruning the budget present participle
prunes the budget third person singular

Morphology

prune + the + budget

The verb 'prune' means to remove nonessential parts and when applied to 'budget' (a plan for money) the combined meaning 'remove unnecessary items/reduce expenses' follows directly from the constituents. This is a straightforward verb + noun composition and mirrors common cross-linguistic metaphors (e.g. 'trim'/'recortar' a budget), so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Prune the budget comes from gardening: to prune is to cut small branches so a plant grows stronger, and a budget is a plan for money. So, to prune the budget means to cut unneeded spending to keep the finances healthy, or 'reduce expenses'.