mow down

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to kill in large numbers, esp by gunfire

Idioms and Phrases

Destroy in great numbers, especially in battle, as in The machine gun mowed them down as they advanced . [Late 1500s]

Overwhelm, as in He mowed down the opposition with his arguments . This usage, like the first, alludes to mowing , the cutting of grass with a scythe or other implement.

Example Sentences

He reconsidered his opinion in 2021, writing for Salon that “Trumpism has become terrifyingly proud of its capacity to mow down democratic norms and resculpt them into steaming piles of excrement.”

From Salon

“They can mow down a kelp forest and then actually remain in that ecosystem without a food source,” said Prentice, a marine biologist and study co-author.

From Los Angeles Times

Man who mowed down students with his car, killing teen outside Westlake High, pleads guilty to murder rampage.

From Los Angeles Times

Sharks play a critical role in the ecosystem as guardians of the seagrass, policing populations of turtles and other animals that would mow down all the seagrass if left unchecked.

From Los Angeles Times

The 27-year-old said dead rodents mowed down by cars were becoming common, adding he had seen four in just one morning.

From BBC

Related Words

• bulldoze 
• demolish 
• destroy 
• dynamite 
• erase 
• extinguish 
• obliterate 
• overthrow 
• scatter 
• smash 
• topple 
• wipe out 
• wreck