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

At the top of the South Dade Landfill, a massive oven that turns wood into charcoal is being tested by Miami-Dade County as an environmentally-friendly way to cut down on landfill waste. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026

This cuts down on food waste and allows restaurants to recover some of their food costs. —Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026

Gise said a bill from House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, would help create greater accountability in where SNAP dollars go which could cut down on fraud and reduce Oklahoma’s payment error rate. —Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice, 5 Feb. 2026

Eco effort To cut down on single-use plastics, each guest receives an aluminum bottle that can be filled at a Vero water machine with room-temperature, chilled, or sparkling water. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026

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)