reduce the budget

USAGE SUMMARY

"reduce the budget" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used when someone is suggesting that the amount of money allocated for a certain cause should be decreased. For example: "We should reduce the budget for marketing in order to have more resources for research and development.”.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They want to reduce the budget deficit.

The New York Times

If included, they would reduce the budget even further.

The Guardian

"How can we reduce the budget?" Ms. Desai said.

The New York Times - Arts

Government explains that we need to reduce the budget deficit.

The Guardian

The government has done well to reduce the budget deficit.

The Economist

Last week, the team planned to reduce the budget deficit.

The Economist

That will help the government reduce the budget deficit by billions of dollars, he says.

The Guardian

Those cuts, officials said, helped reduce the budget by $2 million.

The New York Times

He proposed $125 million in spending cuts to reduce the budget to $2.6 billion.

The New York Times

The plan was to reduce the budget deficit by raising taxes.

The New York Times

Most people in Britain now recognise the need to reduce the budget deficit.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "reduce the budget", specify the area or department where the reduction will occur to provide clarity and avoid ambiguity. For instance, "reduce the budget for marketing".

Common error

Avoid stating "reduce the budget" without providing a rationale or explanation for the cut. Always offer a clear justification, such as improved efficiency, changing priorities, or financial constraints, to ensure transparency and understanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "reduce the budget" functions as a verb phrase indicating the action of decreasing the amount of money allocated for a specific purpose. According to Ludwig AI, this is a correct and usable phrase. Examples in Ludwig illustrate its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "reduce the budget" is a common and grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of decreasing allocated funds. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is appropriate in numerous contexts, particularly within news and media, science, and formal business settings. While alternatives like ""cut spending"" or ""decrease funding"" exist, "reduce the budget" is a clear and widely understood expression. When employing this phrase, it is beneficial to provide specific details regarding the area affected by the reduction and the rationale behind it, which helps to convey transparency and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

cut spending

Focuses specifically on reducing the amount of money spent.

decrease funding

Emphasizes lowering the financial support provided.

lower expenditures

A more formal way to describe reducing costs.

trim the budget

Suggests a minor reduction in the budget.

scale back the budget

Implies a more significant reduction or adjustment.

tighten the budget

Indicates making more efficient use of existing funds.

curtail expenses

Highlights the act of limiting or restricting spending.

economize on the budget

Focuses on saving money within the existing budget.

downsize the budget

Suggests a complete reduction to a smaller size.

rationalize spending

Emphasizes making spending more logical and efficient, potentially involving cuts.

FAQs

How can I use "reduce the budget" in a sentence?

You can use "reduce the budget" to suggest lowering expenses, for example: "The company decided to "reduce the budget" for travel and entertainment."

What are some alternatives to "reduce the budget"?

Alternatives include "cut spending", "decrease funding", or "lower expenditures" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "reduce the budget" or "cut the budget"?

"Reduce the budget" and "cut the budget" are largely interchangeable. However, "cut the budget" may imply a more drastic or immediate action, while "reduce the budget" can suggest a more gradual approach.

What is the difference between "reduce the budget" and "balance the budget"?

"Reduce the budget" refers specifically to lowering expenses. "Balance the budget" means ensuring that income equals expenses, which might involve increasing revenue as well as reducing spending.