cut down

cut down idiom
  1. Kill, as in The troops were cut down one by one as they crossed the field. [Early 1800s]
  2. Also, cut down on. Reduce, decrease, as in I want to cut down my caffeine intake, or We have to cut down on our expenses. [Mid-1800s]
  3. cut down to size; knock down to size. Reduce the self-importance of, humble, as in He's so arrogant—I wish someone would cut him down to size, or She really got knocked down to size when her class ranking slipped. [Early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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