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

Detergent sheets for laundry typically come in slim cardboard boxes rather than plastic jugs, which helps households cut down on plastic waste. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 24 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

Plant operators will be able to stretch their operating cycles to 24 months, cutting down on expensive refueling outages and keeping the plant running continuously for longer stretches. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

The big spend is front-loaded and once the data centers are built, revenue keeps growing, cutting down that lofty capex / revenue figure shown above. — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 22 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)