cut down
phrasal verb·3 senses·particle down
Meanings
Reduce the amount of something
Why “down”? A level or amount becomes lower. This can happen to prices, sound, heat, or speed.
“I'm cutting down on sugar.”
“He cut down on screen time.”
“The hospital cut down on waiting times.”
Fell a tree by cutting at its base
Why “down”? Movement goes from high to low.
“They cut down the old oak.”
“The workers cut down three pines.”
Kill or seriously injure many people quickly
Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.
“Soldiers were cut down by machine guns.”
“Many civilians were cut down in the attack.”
Common mistake
I'm trying to cut down sugar.
I'm trying to cut down on sugar.
To reduce how much you consume, use cut down on.
Natural collocations
The word partners “cut down” most often appears with — learn the phrase, not just the verb.
Don't confuse with
Test yourself
“I'm cutting down on sugar.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
cut back
A contrast learners often mix up
Reduce sharply, especially expenditure; Reduce the amount of something, especially spending
cut up
A contrast learners often mix up
Cut something into smaller pieces; Make someone deeply upset or distressed; Behave in a wild or noisy way to attract attention; Overtake another driver suddenly and dangerously
back down
Same down pattern: losing
Withdraw from a position
bear down
Same down pattern: downward
Move quickly and threateningly toward someone
beat down
Same down pattern: downward
(of sun or rain) fall strongly and steadily
bend down
Same down pattern: downward
Lean the upper body downward
blow down
Same down pattern: downward
Cause something to fall by blowing
break down
Same down pattern: losing
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “cut down”.
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