cut down

British  

verb

1. (tr) to fell

2. to reduce or make a reduction (in)

   to cut down on drink

3. (tr) to remake (an old garment) in order to make a smaller one

4. (tr) to kill

   he was cut down in battle

5. to reduce in importance or decrease the conceit of

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cut down Idioms  

1. Kill, as in The troops were cut down one by one as they crossed the field . [Early 1800s]

2. Also, cut down on . Reduce, decrease, as in I want to cut down my caffeine intake , or We have to cut down on our expenses . [Mid-1800s]

3. cut down to size ; knock down to size . Reduce the self-importance of, humble, as in He's so arrogant—I wish someone would cut him down to size , or She really got knocked down to size when her class ranking slipped . [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut down

Lately, she and her husband have cut down on nonessential spending to save money.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Warsh has vowed to cut down on providing insights into Fed policy positions, and on Friday again refrained from sharing his view of what may transpire at the October gathering.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Since the 1970s, scientists and the public have questioned the use of clearfell logging – where all trees in a block of forest are cut down.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

The production has been cut down to a single three-hour show and is set to re-open in the West End next month.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

He was so good that he could look at an entire oak, pine, or even a chestnut tree, and tell you how many logs it would yield once it had been cut down.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

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