Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

starve the beast

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.45 in modern English

Syllables: starve the beast
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To progressively weaken or destroy a dangerous or powerful entity through attrition.

American usage

verb

To deprive the federal government of revenue by cutting taxes in an effort to force it to limit spending.

American usage

Example Sentences

"Whatever the mechanism, attempts to starve the beast through revenue shortages somehow seem to make the beast all the more voracious."

Etymology

According to Bruce Bartlett, the second sense was first used by an anonymous Reagan staffer in “We didn’t starve the beast. It’s still eating quite well—by feeding off future generations.”

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

starves the beast (present, singular) starving the beast (participle, present) starved the beast (participle, past) starved the beast (past)

Questions

What does starve the beast mean?: To progressively weaken or destroy a dangerous or powerful entity through attrition.
Where does starve the beast come from?: According to Bruce Bartlett, the second sense was first used by an anonymous Reagan staffer in “We didn’t starve the beast. It’s still eating quite well—by feeding off future generations.”

How to pronounce starve the beast

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