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

Some were cut for developments, some were cut down illegally.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

It described her as having an "iron fist under the velvet glove", and observed that she knew how to "cut down Himalayan egos to the height of foothills".

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

“The kick from the wasabi, that sensation, will cut down the fat.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Those Russian demands were included in a 28-point document drafted by the United States -- later cut down to 19 -- after separate negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

So, why do local people cut down the trees?

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall