Meaning & use
curbs
Last updated
“curbs” is a form of “curb”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
the raised edge of a sidewalk next to the road, or similar raised borders.
Grammar: Usually plural in this sense; singular 'curb' refers to one edge. In British English, 'kerb' is the spelling for the road edge.
Patterns
- at the curb
- parked at the curb
- step off the curb
She parked her car close to the curb.
The children sat on the curb and waited for the bus.
Be careful stepping off the curb into traffic.
verbtransitive
to control or limit something that is considered harmful or excessive.
Grammar: Takes an object: curb spending, curb your enthusiasm.
Patterns
- curb something
- curb inflation
- curb your enthusiasm
The government introduced new measures to curb inflation.
He tried to curb his anger during the meeting.
Stricter laws aim to curb pollution from factories.
nouncountable
a check or restraint on something.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'a curb on something'.
Patterns
- a curb on something
- put a curb on something
The new policy is a curb on excessive spending.
They called for a curb on the power of large corporations.
Word forms
| third person singular | curbs |
|---|---|
| past tense | curbed |
| past participle | curbed |
| -ing form | curbing |
| plural | curbs |
Common combinations
- curb inflation
- The central bank raised interest rates to curb inflation.
- curb spending
- The family had to curb spending after the father lost his job.
- curb your enthusiasm
- You need to curb your enthusiasm a little; not everyone shares your excitement.
- park at the curb
- You can park at the curb, but check for parking signs first.
Synonyms and how they differ
- restrain
- More formal and often used for physical or emotional control, e.g. restrain a person.
- check
- Can mean to stop or slow something, but is less specific than 'curb'.
- limit
- Neutral; 'curb' often implies reducing something harmful or excessive.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: curbs or kerb?
curbs vs kerb
British spelling for the edge of a sidewalk; 'curb' is the American spelling and also a verb meaning 'restrain'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'curbs' correctly as a verb?
Choose one answer.
'Curbs' as a verb means 'restrains or limits'. In option 1, 'curbs' is a noun; option 3 has a subject-verb agreement error ('rules curbs' should be 'rules curb'); option 4 is ungrammatical because 'curbs' is plural and should be 'curb' after 'the'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “curbs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.