cut down

verb

cut down; cutting down; cuts down

transitive verb

1
a
: to strike down and kill or incapacitate
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.
Some technical award handouts may be pre-taped and winners won’t appear on the live show, only cut down into edited bits sandwiched into the telecast. Mark Kennedy, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025 One is that being more attuned to the body’s needs can cut down on emotional eating. Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 SCFAs can also lend a hand to your immune system, cutting down on inflammatory substances in your gut while ramping up the release of anti-inflammatory ones. Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 May 2025 Many of the staffers were hand-picked by Elon Musk, and given access equivalent to high-ranking government officials in DOGE's bid to cut down on federal spending. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cut down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cut%20down. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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

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