cut down

verb

cut down; cutting down; cuts down

transitive verb

1
a
: to strike down and kill or incapacitate
b
: knock down
2
a
: to remodel by removing extras or unwanted furnishings and fittings
b
: to remake in a smaller size

intransitive verb

: to reduce or curtail volume or activity
cut down on smoking
Phrases
cut down to size
: to reduce from an inflated or exaggerated importance to true or suitable stature

Examples of cut down in a Sentence

we need to cut down that dying tree
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.
Permits for cutting down Christmas trees in national forests, a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for many Colorado families, are now on sale. —John Meyer, The Denver Post, 9 Nov. 2024 The Clippers responded by cutting down its mistakes, not turning over the ball and making the right play, enabling them to build a substantial lead in the second half. —Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024 But booking a tour on your own could cut down on the cruise’s overall cost. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 Rogers ran a jackhammer, cutting down concrete floors and carrying the pieces out in a wheelbarrow. —Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cut down 

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cut down was in 1571

Dictionary Entries Near cut down

cut costs

cut down

cute

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Cut down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cut%20down. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

cut down

verb
1
: to knock down and kill or wound
2
: to make over in a smaller size
3
: to reduce something in amount
cut down on energy use

Medical Definition

cutdown

noun
cut·​down ˈkət-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce cutdown (audio)
: incision of a superficial blood vessel (as a vein) to facilitate insertion of a catheter (as for administration of fluids)

More from Merriam-Webster on cut down

Nglish: Translation of cut down for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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