to trim back
3
3.4
- phrasal verb
- In order to save money, they decided to trim back on unnecessary office supplies.
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Watch on YouTubeAnd I rarely, I want to say almost never trim back my annuals mid season.
- And I rarely, I want to say almost never trim back my annuals mid season.
Examples
-
The path ran beside a high hedge of crepe myrtle, bare and severely trimmed back for the winter; then it curved to the edge of a sloping bank.
Fiction book (1993) -
Amtrak is beginning to trim back its service, with updates being posted to amtrak.com/alerts.
Blog text (10) -
Her dog, bred for centuries for herding, kept looking back at me and Scott whenever we slowed down to trim back some branches.
Blog text (31) -
The dried-up roots can be trimmed back to about one inch from the bulb, leaving the healthy white roots to grow.
Blog text (34) -
He trimmed back shrubbery, checked the insulation around the water pipes, and helped his wife lay down straw in her flower beds.
Fiction book (1990) -
Then we tidied up in the gardens; I trimmed back plants and noticed that my Oakleaf hydrangea was teasing me with a hint of its autumn colors to come.
Blog text (15) -
To keep the garden looking neat, she had to trim back the overgrown bushes.
-
The company plans to trim back its production costs by reducing the number of employees.
Synonyms
∞
2.3
To remove parts or make something shorter, for example text
∞
1.6
To make something smaller in amount, size, or number
236
1.0
To cut something into thin flat pieces with a knife
156
2.9
To reduce how much you buy and use to save money and be healthier
145
2.6
Cut something to make it smaller or neater
145
2.7
To make something smaller in amount or number
123
3.0
Make an amount or level lower
107
1.6
To cut hair or plants shorter with scissors
79
3.2
Use less of something to save money or be healthier
22
3.9
Make a price or amount a little smaller
17
4.0
To make something smaller in size or amount
16
5.1
To make a list or group smaller by removing items over time
13
4.4
Make something smaller by removing parts you do not need
7
3.4
To make something smaller by cutting or removing parts
6
7.0
To shorten something by cutting off a part, often the end
5
5.9
To make something smaller gradually by cutting or wearing it away
2
7.5
Make something shorter in time or length while keeping its main parts
Antonyms
How Reduced
70
3.7
1
4.3
∞
1.6
3
3.4
156
2.9
13
4.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
trim + back
The sense 'to reduce by cutting' is directly compositional from 'trim' (to cut or neaten) plus the particle 'back' which here signals reduction/retraction; together they yield a predictable meaning. This follows common English verb+particle patterns (cf. 'cut back', 'trim down') and would be readily inferred by a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Trim back comes from gardening. Gardeners trim branches back toward the main stem to make plants smaller, so the phrase means 'to reduce' something by cutting or removing parts.