cut down
phrasal verbcut somebody down
- (formal) to kill somebody
- He was cut down by an assassin's bullet.
cut something down
- to make something fall down by cutting it at the base
- Some trees had been cut down.
cut something down (to…) | cut down (on something)
- to reduce the size, amount or number of something
- We need to cut the article down to 1 000 words.
- The doctor told him to cut down on his drinking.
- I won't have a coffee, thanks—I'm trying to cut down (= drink less coffee).
- I'm trying to cut down on fatty foods.