mow down

phrasal verb

mowed down; mowed down or mown down; mowing down; mows down
informal
: to kill or knock down (a person or many people) in a sudden and violent way
The soldiers were mowed down by machine guns.
The car mowed down four pedestrians.

Examples of mow down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Vanderbilt Avenue organizers use them to mark the bike lanes along the six-block stretch to prevent cyclists from mowing down children chalking the pavement or 50-year-olds dancing to a jazz quartet. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 May 2025 Seconds later, the truck races back into view, barreling over Sloan, still crumpled on the ground, and fatally mowing down Carter, who had been standing on the sidewalk. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2025 Paul Rudd plays Elliot Kintner, the man who accidentally mows down a unicorn with his daughter, Ridley (Jenna Ortega). Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2025 As Emily tries to flee, she’s mowed down by one of the dads, Darren (Andrew Rannells), and arrested. Sezin Devi Koehler, EW.com, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for mow down

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mow down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mow%20down. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!