cut down

British  

verb

1. (tr) to fell

2. to reduce or make a reduction (in)

   to cut down on drink

3. (tr) to remake (an old garment) in order to make a smaller one

4. (tr) to kill

   he was cut down in battle

5. to reduce in importance or decrease the conceit of

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cut down Idioms  

1. Kill, as in The troops were cut down one by one as they crossed the field . [Early 1800s]

2. Also, cut down on . Reduce, decrease, as in I want to cut down my caffeine intake , or We have to cut down on our expenses . [Mid-1800s]

3. cut down to size ; knock down to size . Reduce the self-importance of, humble, as in He's so arrogant—I wish someone would cut him down to size , or She really got knocked down to size when her class ranking slipped . [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut down

"The warehouses are full," said Ilisei, who has invested in solar panels to cut down electricity costs while hoping his earnings will soon improve.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

It means farms could potentially cut down significantly on expensive bought-in fertiliser by spreading their cows' slurry and manure more effectively - saving the county's farmers an estimated £1.08m a year.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

We could decide to treat this sci-fi possibility seriously right now by working to cut down air pollution at the source.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Trees set to be cut down stand at Muir High School in Pasadena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Then the grape tree had to be cut down at the seashore, painted white, and hung with silver and gold balls and showered with tinsel.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez