pare to the bone

idiom

: to reduce as much as possible
The budget has been pared to the bone.

Dictionary Entries Near pare to the bone

Pareto's law

pare to the bone

pareu

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Pare to the bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pare to the bone. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit? A double-decker quiz with words from across the pond