cut back and cut down

Question

Cut back, cut back on, cut down, cut down on....I was overwhlemed by them. Can someone help explain them?LC

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

They are synonyms just in one respect, REDUCE. Otherwise, they cover pretty much different meanings. You'll just have to study all this

-----
cut back

transitive verb
1 : to shorten by cutting off the end <cut back a word> : PRUNE <cut back the shoots of a plant>
2 : to return (a distillate) to a still (as in petroleum refining); also : to thin (as asphalt) by the addition of lighter oils
3 : REDUCE, DECREASE; sometimes : ELIMINATE, ABOLISH <cut back
military expenditure> <cut back reforestation work>

intransitive verb :
to interrupt the sequence of a plot by introducing
events prior to those last presented <then the script cut back to the
old man's childhood>
--------

cut down

transitive verb
1 a : to remodel by removing extras or furnishings and fittings not completely necessary; specifically : RAZEE b : to remake in a smaller size <cutting down her older sister's dress>
2 : to strike down and kill, incapacitate, or take out of activity <the swordsman cut down his foe> <was cut down by the voters of Washington -- Murray Kempton>
3 : to diminish the scope, volume, or intensity of : REDUCE, CURTAIL <cut down expenses> <cut down the accident rate>
4 : to separate into parts in ore dressing <cut down a sample of ore>

intransitive verb :
- to lessen or ****** volume or activity <cut down on smoking>
- cut down to size : to reduce from an inflated or exaggerated importance to true or suitable stature <the challenger looks impressive, but stiffer competition will cut him down to size>

-------

Nef · Answer

Lcchang
Cut back, cut back on, cut down, cut down on....I was overwhlemed by them. Can someone help explain them?

LC

As Marius said, these all have the idea of reducing, lessening, making less, making smaller. But I'm not as precise as a dictionary, and would be comfortable using "cut down on" and "cut back on" interchangably in a lot of cases. I'm in the western US, and this may be different in some other places.

Here are some common examples that come to mind:

1. I need to cut back my lemon tree. It is growing too far into my neighbor's yard.

(pruning, trimming trees or plants to make them smaller)

2. I need to cut down my lemon tree. The lemon tree is very sick, and I want to plant an orange tree in that space.

(starting to remove a tree completely; cutting the tree trunk prior to pulling it out of the ground)

3. I need to cut down on calories (or cut back on calories). My favorite pants are getting too tight.

(eating fewer calories)

4. They want to cut down on (or cut back on) expenses this month.

(spending less money)

5. She needed to cut back on (or cut down on) apples when she made that dessert. Her son ate some apples this morning, and there weren't many left.

(using fewer apples than usual when following a recipe)

6. Having more police officers on the street often cuts down on (or cuts back on) crime.

(reducing crime)

7. That company will cut down on (or cut back on) hiring. It had some trouble last year.

(reducing the number of people who are asked to work for the company)

Anonymous · Answer

Cut back and cut down, when used as a verb phrase, means the same thing: reduce.

Example: I need to CUT BACK/CUT DOWN on drinking so much./My doctor told me to CUT DOWN/CUT BACK on eating food with a high fat content.

(You use it usually when you're trying to quit a bad habit or become healthy.)

cut back and cut down

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions