Finance & Corporate Jargon · Managing Director level

"Belt-tightening"

"Belt-tightening" means cutting costs or reducing spending, framed as a shared sacrifice even when the cuts fall unevenly across an organization.

Say this instead: cost cutting

How "Belt-tightening" shows up at work

A Managing Director favorite for layoff season and budget freezes. The phrase implies everyone is pulling together, which makes it easier to announce that the catering budget is gone but the executive retreat is still on.

Buzzword

Given the current climate, we're asking all departments to do some belt-tightening this quarter.

Plain English

Given the current climate, we're asking all departments to cut costs this quarter.

Corporate Rank: Managing Director · Category: Finance & Corporate Jargon

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