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

Stump heights can be no taller than a foot and six inches in diameter, and you’re only allowed to cut down pines, firs or cedars. —Sacbee.com, 22 Nov. 2025

So far, the users that spoke to CNN have been cutting down on their Pinterest usage. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025

The proposal would ease data-sharing restrictions, allow personal data to be used for AI training under certain conditions, extend compliance deadlines for high-risk AI systems, and cut down on Europe’s ubiquitous cookie pop-ups. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2025

This practice would cut down on bottles ending up in the trash. —Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

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)