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

Then there's optimizing the hull design to cut down on drag and turbulence. —New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025

Use pre-chopped tomatoes from the store to cut down on prep time. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025

Alverno encountered some financial problems last year but recovered after cutting down on staff and academic programs. —Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 5 Dec. 2025

For several years now, my family either gets free permits from Denver Mountain Parks or $20 permits from the National Forest Service to cut down a fresh tree near Evergreen or Fraser. —Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 5 Dec. 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)