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

The renovation of the high school, which would cut down on congestion and create flexible learning spaces — including a student commons area — also calls for improved lighting, acoustics and ventilation, which studies show can greatly impact student learning, noted Rohlwing. —Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

The SpaceX founder is now an adviser to the president and heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut down on what the administration views as wasteful spending in the federal government. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

In most cases, the tree is cut down to harvest the roots. —Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025

But the researchers knocked out the gene that encodes the primary enzyme that produces with lactic acid, dramatically cutting down the amount incorporated into the polymer. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for cut down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

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)