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

see also:

cut down to size

Examples of cut down in a Sentence

we need to cut down that dying tree

Recent Examples on the Web

By eliminating the necessity of taking longer natural routes, canals help cut down on fuel costs and deliver goods to their destination more quickly. — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026

In a gesture of hospitality, father and son cut down sour oranges and green mangoes from high in their trees with machetes. — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

This is a brutal time for players on the fringe of NFL rosters, as teams must cut down from 90-player training camp rosters to 53 players for the regular season. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Walton Johnson, who began at the clerk of courts office overseeing its online Self-Help Center, pledged to install kiosks at the Orange County Courthouse and its surrounding branches to cut down on wait times. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, 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)