verknappen
Translation
to make scarce, to reduce, to curtail
Examples
Die Dürre verknappt die Wasserreserven.
The drought is making water reserves scarce.
Man muss die Ausgaben stark verknappen.
One must drastically reduce expenditures.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to make sth. scarce The government is making imports scarce.
Similar Words
Synonyms: reduzieren (to reduce), einschränken (to limit); Antonyms: vermehren (to increase), erhöhen (to raise)
Etymology
From the prefix 'ver-' (making something into a state) and the adjective 'knapp' (scarce, tight). Literally 'to make scarce'.
Memory Tips
'knapp' sounds a bit like 'snap'. Imagine resources snapping away until they become scarce.