as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
by being frugal, the family is able to stretch its monthly budget
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Recent Examples of frugal
Or perhaps an innovative yet frugal Chinese brand?
—
New Atlas, 24 Nov. 2025
So any such tariffs threatened to send Christmas tree prices much higher in a year in which American consumers have shown themselves to be cautious and frugal.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2025
Rios is hardly the only shopper forced to be more frugal.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
For example, the vibe of M&M’s upcoming Bakery Collection—which includes such flavors as cherry chocolate cupcake, lemon meringue pie, and peanut-butter cinnamon roll—is fun, not frugal.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for frugal
Adjective
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Casseroles are also rooted in thriftiness, making smart use of economical ingredients.—
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The city is taking some more economical traffic safety measures, like improving crosswalk visibility and reducing speed limits on some streets.—
Adjective
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Not only is saving Parmesan rinds a thrifty move, but cooking with them is an easy way to inject flavor into so many of your favorite dishes.—
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David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Darden Restaurants on Thursday reported strong sales growth, fueled by demand at Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse as thrifty diners look for good deals.—
Cite this Entry
“Frugal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frugal. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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