Which of the following best defines curtail?

• A. to establish a limit on something
• B. to abolish completely
• C. to reduce or shorten something
• D. to prolong

Answer: (C)

Curtail means to reduce or shorten something, usually by cutting back on its length, amount, or scope. This captures the idea of pulling back or narrowing how much or how long something happens. For example, curtailing spending means cutting back on expenditures, and curtailing a trip means making it shorter or shorter in duration. It’s not about abolishing something completely, which would be eliminate, nor about prolonging it, which is the opposite.