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

Permits for cutting down Christmas trees in national forests, a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for many Colorado families, are now on sale. —John Meyer, The Denver Post, 9 Nov. 2024

The Clippers responded by cutting down its mistakes, not turning over the ball and making the right play, enabling them to build a substantial lead in the second half. —Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024

But booking a tour on your own could cut down on the cruise’s overall cost. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024

Rogers ran a jackhammer, cutting down concrete floors and carrying the pieces out in a wheelbarrow. —Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 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)