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

In the past, as many as 12 designers participated, but with the date change, there was also a cut down in the number of designers participating. —Essence, 6 Jan. 2025

And research suggests that cutting down on them might benefit our health. —Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025

Apps and services lose access to your location data, which not only boosts your privacy but can also save battery life by cutting down on background tracking. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has expressed desire to enact Trump’s agenda in a bigger bill, which would also address cutting down spending, whereas Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has expressed concern over a bill this size getting to Trump’s desk. —Asher Notheis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Jan. 2025

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)