cut down

phrasal verb·3 senses·particle down

Meanings

1

Reduce the amount of something

Less

Why “down”? When there is less of something, it goes down. Prices, sound, heat and speed all work this way.

“I'm cutting down on sugar.”
I'm reducing my sugar intake.
“He cut down on screen time.”
He reduced his screen time.
“The hospital cut down on waiting times.”
The hospital reduced how long patients have to wait.
2

Fell a tree by cutting at its base

Downward

Why “down”? Movement goes from high to low.

“They cut down the old oak.”
They felled the old oak by cutting it.
“The workers cut down three pines.”
The workers felled three pine trees by cutting them.
3

Kill or seriously injure many people quickly

Losinguncommon

Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.

“Soldiers were cut down by machine guns.”
Soldiers were killed quickly by machine guns.
“Many civilians were cut down in the attack.”
Many civilians were killed or badly injured quickly in the attack.

Don't confuse with

cut downcut up

Cut down means reduce the amount of something. Cut up means cut something into smaller pieces.

cut downcut back

Cut down means reduce the amount of something. Cut back means reduce sharply.

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”.

cut down vs cut back

Practice “cut down” in Sink In

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