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

We applied on a government website for a $5 permit to cut down a Christmas tree in the Willamette National Forest, which stretches along the western slopes of Oregon’s Cascade Range.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kroger executives said earlier this month that people are becoming “more selective” when visiting their stores, buying more on promotion and cutting down on buying general merchandise.

From MarketWatch

Retail analysts praise her discipline at Ralph Lauren, where she oversaw a strategy of cutting down the number of products to restore brand focus and prestige.

From The Wall Street Journal

One method -- termed "moving mountains" -- was described in 2015 by China's top industry and technology regulator as "first cutting down trees, then clearing weeds and finally stripping away the topsoil, causing irreparable damage".

From Barron's

She was on the medication for 16 weeks before she began to taper, cutting down over a period of six weeks.

From BBC