Word: Trim Back
Definition:
The phrase "trim back" means to cut something down in size or reduce it. This can refer to physical objects, like plants, or to more abstract things, like budgets or expenses.
Usage Instructions:
- "Trim back" is often used when you want to reduce something, like cutting branches from a tree or lowering your spending. - It can be used in both casual and formal contexts.
Examples:
1. "I need to trim back the bushes in my garden before spring." 2. "The company decided to trim back on unnecessary expenses to save money."
Advanced Usage:
- In a business context, "trim back" might refer to reducing budgets or cutting costs. For example, "The management team is planning to trim back the marketing budget for next year."
Word Variants:
- Trim: The base form that can mean to cut or make something neat and tidy. - Trimming: The present participle form, which can refer to the action of cutting or reducing.
Different Meanings:
- "Trim" can also refer to making something neat by cutting the edges, such as trimming hair or trimming the edges of a piece of paper.
Synonyms:
- Cut back - Reduce - Decrease - Slash - Diminish
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
- Cut back on: A similar phrase that means to reduce the amount of something. For example, "I need to cut back on sweets to be healthier." - Scale down: This phrase means to reduce the size or amount of something, similar to "trim back." For example, "We need to scale down our project due to budget constraints."
Summary:
"Trim back" is a useful phrase to describe the action of reducing or cutting down something, whether it’s physical, like plants, or abstract, like costs.