Meaning & use

shoestring

noun·Everyday

Last updated

A shoelace; also used to describe something done with very little money.

See it in a sentence

The filmmakers shot the entire movie on a shoestring budget.

They ran the nonprofit on a shoestring, relying entirely on volunteers.

A note on using this word

Almost always encountered today in the idiom "on a shoestring," meaning with very limited funds, rather than the literal lace.

Words with a similar meaning

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