curtail

/kərˈteɪl/

/kəˈteɪl/

Other forms: curtailed; curtailing; curtails

To curtail something is to slow it down, put restrictions on it, or stop it entirely. If I give up cake, I am curtailing my cake-eating.

Curtail is an official-sounding word for stopping or slowing things down. The police try to curtail crime — they want there to be less crime in the world. A company may want to curtail their employees' computer time, so they spend more time working and less time goofing around. Teachers try to curtail whispering and note-passing in class. When something is curtailed, it's either stopped entirely or stopped quite a bit — it's cut short.

Definitions of curtail

1. verb

   terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent
   “Personal freedom is curtailed in many countries”

   synonyms: clip, cut short

   type of:

   shorten

   make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
2. verb

   place restrictions on
   synonyms: curb, cut back, restrict

   types:

   abridge

   lessen, diminish, or curtail

   immobilise, immobilize

   cause to be unable to move

   paralyse, paralyze

   cause to be paralyzed and immobile

   stun, stupefy, zonk

   make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow

   type of:

   circumscribe, confine, limit

   restrict or confine