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

Even better: the Southern turkey brand just announced a new cook-from-frozen bird to cut down on prep time and stress. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024

Citing an unnamed Ukrainian official, the newspaper said both sides had already cut down the number of attacks on each other's energy infrastructure recently following an understanding reached by their intelligence agencies. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Where to watch Madame Web: Netflix Tom Holland says Robert Downey Jr. saved his first Spider-Man scene from being 'significantly' cut down 18 of 18 Venom: The Last Dance (2024) The latest entry in the Spider-Man movie universe wraps up the Tom Hardy Venom trilogy. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Replacing a black plastic spatula with a steel or silicone option is an easy way to cut down on at least part of one’s daily dose of hormone disruptors. —Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 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)