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GainRain Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Cut Down

"The soldiers were cut down by gunfire."

Does it mean they got hurt and survived, or they got killed outright?
  

Top answer

Hi, It's unclear. But if there is no other information given, it sounds to me like they were killed. Clive

— Clive

  • Hi, It's unclear.
  • But if there is no other information given, it sounds to me like they were killed.
  • Clive
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4 Answers
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Hi,

It's unclear. But if there is no other information given, it sounds to me like they were killed.

Clive
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Thank you for your reply Clive.

I also found this curious use of "cut down":

http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2012/02/beckham-sparks-galaxy-win-over-9-man-real-salt-lake

"Four minutes after coming on, Sarvas was
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I think here it would mean "knocked off his feet."
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In the context of war and hostile conflict, "The soldiers were cut down by gunfire." connotes certain suffering of serious injury if not casualty. The phrasal verb "cut down" as in "cutting down a 500 years old redwood sequoia" has the meaning of destroying or taking something out of its existence.
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