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

During the candidate forum, Kerfeld said the city government needs to cut down on wasteful spending. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The price increase, later coupled with a reservation system, is designed to cut down, in part, on spontaneous trips to the resort, forcing guests to be more intentional about their Disneyland plans. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

This, along with never sleeping in your outdoor clothes, can help cut down on body oil, sweat, dirt, pollen, or bacteria from transferring from your clothes to your bedsheets. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026

As Willis looks to cut down on sacks, the Chiefs can come at the quarterback with Jones, who will line up in different spots against the line and led the team with seven sacks last year, and defensive end George Karlaftis. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 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)