curtail
The definition for curtail is "To make less." Used in a sentence: Doreen decided to curtail her spending after she bounced a check.
demean
The definition for demean is "To lower status." Used in a sentence: The embarrassing photograph demeaned the candidate in the eyes of the voters.
dubious
The definition for dubious is "Questionable." Used in a sentence: Karl found Kevin's claim that he was sick dubious, as he had just seen him playing football.
gruff
The definition for gruff is "Rough or stern in manner or speech." Used in a sentence: Heidi's grandfather was gruff, barking stern orders and hardly smiling.
prune
The definition for prune is "To reduce by removing excess." Used in a sentence: The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.