to cut down on
to cut down on: to reduce, to lessen (also: to cut back on)
Examples of TO CUT DOWN ON
- As she was making her budget, she realized she needed to cut down on her expenses.
- My doctor told me to cut down on desserts.
to cut down on: to reduce, to lessen (also: to cut back on)
to cut corners: to economize, to save money Examples of TO CUT CORNERS Most students live on limited budgets and have to cut corners whenever possible. The Livingstons have nine children, so it is essential that they cut corners at all times.
to die out: not to exist anymore; to be in the process of disappearing Examples of TO DIE OUT Even the idea that all the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago is now passe. That strange, new style of dancing is slowly dying out.
to get rid of: to eliminate, to remove; to discard, to throw away Examples of TO GET RID OF Maybe we need some legislation to get rid of fast food in fast-food restaurants. The only thing I’d get rid of is the breadmaker, but I have nowhere to put that.
to keep track of: to keep or maintain a record of; to remember the locationof Examples of TO KEEP TRACK OF We’re going to keep track of your sales figures, to determine how much of a bonus you’ll receive. The manager didn’t expect how many projects he would be given and expected to keep track…
to find fault with: criticize, to complain about something Examples of TO FIND FAULT WITH You mustn’t be quick to find fault with everyone you date because you might learn to appreciate their flaws. Nobody could find any fault with Jennifer’s performance on the exam.
more or less: approximately, almost; somewhat, to a certain degree Examples of MORE OR LESS Although your bedroom feels smaller, it’s more or less the same size as mine. Ted more or less agreed with our decision to put off the meeting until more members could show up. At least he didn’t object strongly.