a reduction in quantity or rate; a reduction in the amount of an activity or the funding for an activity; as, cutbacks in government research funding increased unemployment among scientists; the recession caused a cutback in auto production. [WordNet 1.5]
a return to an earlier scene or story line in a novel, movie, etc. [PJC]
a sudden switching of directions of a running football player, a surfboarder, etc. [PJC]

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THESAURUS

cutback

cheeseparing, cooling, cooling down, cooling off, curtailment, cut, economization, economizing, low growth rate, pullback, reduction of expenses, reduction of spending, retrenchment, rollback, saving, scraping, scrimping, skimping, slowdown, sparing

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