1. (v. t.) To cut off; to pare away; to reduce; as, to retrench expenses\.

2. (v. t.) To lessen; to abridge; to curtail; as, to retrench superfluities or expenses.

3. (v. t.) To confine; to limit; to restrict.

4. (v. t.) To furnish with a retrenchment; as, to retrench bastions.

5. (v. i.) To cause or suffer retrenchment; specifically, to cut down living expenses; as, it is more reputable to retrench than to live embarrassed.

abate abbreviate abrade abridge abstract arrest bate bob boil down bridle capsulize check clip compress condense constrain contain contract control cool cool off crop curb curtail curtail expenses cut cut back cut corners cut down cut off short cut short damp dampen decelerate decrease deduct deflate depreciate depress derogate detract diminish disparage dock dompt downgrade drain eat away elide enjoin epitomize erode extract file away foreshorten govern guard hinder hold hold at bay hold back hold fast hold in hold in check hold in leash hold up impair inhibit keep keep back keep from keep in keep in check keep under control lay under restraint leach lessen lower mow nip pare pare down expenses poll pollard prohibit prune pull pull in purify reap recap recapitulate reduce refine rein rein in remove restrain retard roll back rub away scale down set back shave shear shorten simplify slash slow down snub step down straiten stunt subduct subtract sum up summarize synopsize take a reef take away take from take in telescope thin thin out trim truncate tune down wear away weed withdraw withhold