537 01/27 Ebbed spending in America

[hailey]

Americans cut back on spending in December, the second consecutive month they've done so, underscoring how inflation and the rising cost of using credit cards slowed consumer activity over the crucial holiday shopping season. Retail sales fell 1.1 percent in December. In October, retail sales ticked up 1.3 percent, helped by early holiday shopping. Spending had remailed resilient despite a spike in inflation that began almost 19 months ago, but the capacity of Americans to continue that spending has ebbed and cracks are forming. Julie Walker, New York.

cut back on ~을 줄이다

underscoring 분명히 보여주다. 강조하다

ticked up 증가하다

ebb 둔화되다, 약해지다, 줄다

crack 균열

한줄요약: Americans cut back on spending in December, showing how inflation and rising cost of using credit cards affected consumer activity.