cut down

verb

cut down; cutting down; cuts down

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike down and kill or incapacitate

b

: knock down

2

a

: to remodel by removing extras or unwanted furnishings and fittings

b

: to remake in a smaller size

intransitive verb

: to reduce or curtail volume or activity

cut down on smoking

Phrases

cut down to size

: to reduce from an inflated or exaggerated importance to true or suitable stature

Examples of cut down in a Sentence

we need to cut down that dying tree

Recent Examples on the Web

Serve Finger Foods Serve foods like tacos, sandwiches, wraps, and sliders to automatically cut down on cutlery. —Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024

This cuts down travel times as well as reduces fuel usage, saving further costs. —Bernard Marr, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

Reports that some projects have been dramatically cut down — in the case of the Line, its size target slashed from 106 miles to 1.5 miles and population target down from 1.5 million by 2030 to less than 300,000 — attest to that concern on a higher level. —Natasha Turak, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024

Regulatory Reforms: Streamlining the approval processes for infrastructure projects can significantly cut down on bureaucratic delays. —Ronald Beaty, Hartford Courant, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

cut down

verb

1

: to knock down and kill or wound

2

: to make over in a smaller size

3

: to reduce something in amount

cut down on energy use

Medical Definition

cutdown

noun

cut·​down ˈkət-ˌdau̇n 

: incision of a superficial blood vessel (as a vein) to facilitate insertion of a catheter (as for administration of fluids)