curtail
The definition for curtail is "To make less." Used in a sentence: Doreen decided to curtail her spending after she bounced a check.
extenuating
The definition for extenuating is "Partially excusing." Used in a sentence: The extenuating circumstance of Calvin's illness caused the teacher to excuse his lateness.
placebo
The definition for placebo is "An inactive substance used in medical testing." Used in a sentence: Tom, who had taken the placebo, found that his allergy symptoms did not go away.
ploy
The definition for ploy is "A contrived plan." Used in a sentence: Sarah thought George's ploy of borrowing her notes was a cowardly way to ask her out.
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.