belt-tightening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Analysts and automakers predict U.S. annual sales will fall in 2026 following three straight years of gains as belt-tightening American car buyers collide with tariff costs that companies probably won’t keep absorbing.
“Our 2026 budget is not the sharp drop-off it might at first appear to be, but rather, it is a continuation of a belt-tightening that is already under way,” acting Chair George Botic said.
But growing AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and belt-tightening driven by higher costs likely played a role as well.
From MarketWatch
“Some industries are correcting after the hiring boom of the pandemic, but this comes as AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs drive belt-tightening and hiring freezes,” Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray and Christmas, said in a statement.
Belt-tightening is overused corporate jargon, but it is particularly apt at the moment.
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.