mow down

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Definition

Verb (transitive): 1. To kill or destroy (people or things) in large numbers, especially in a sudden, violent, and indiscriminate manner. This verb strongly implies a forceful, sweeping action that cuts down victims as if they were grass. 2. To knock down or strike with great force, often causing serious injury or death. This can apply in both literal and figurative contexts involving sudden impact.

Usage and Examples
  • The machine gunner mowed down the advancing soldiers.
  • The speeding car lost control and mowed down several pedestrians on the sidewalk.
  • The champion boxer mowed down his first five opponents with ease.
  • The new retail giant threatens to mow down small local businesses.
Advanced Usage and Nuance
  • Connotation: The term carries a strong connotation of brutality, efficiency, and a lack of discrimination. It often dehumanizes the victims, comparing them to grass or wheat being cut.
  • Agency: The subject performing the action is typically an impersonal force (e.g., a machine, a vehicle, a natural disaster) or a person/group wielding such force.
  • Figurative Extension: Beyond physical killing, it is commonly used figuratively to describe defeating opponents or eliminating competition swiftly and decisively.
Variants and Related Words
  • Mow (verb): The base verb meaning to cut down (grass, grain) with a scythe or machine. "Mow down" is a phrasal verb extension of this core meaning.
  • Massacre (verb/noun): A close synonym often used for the indiscriminate killing of many people.
  • Slaughter (verb/noun): Emphasizes killing on a large scale, often brutally.
  • Cut down (phrasal verb): Can be a less intense synonym in some contexts (e.g., "cut down by enemy fire").
Synonyms
  • Massacre
  • Slaughter
  • Annihilate
  • Decimate
  • Cut down
Related Phrasal Verbs/Idioms
  • Run down: To hit with a vehicle. (Often less severe or intentional than "mow down").
    • He was run down by a cyclist.
  • Wipe out: To destroy completely.
    • The epidemic wiped out the village.
  • Make mincemeat of: To defeat utterly. (Idiomatic, often in sports or debate).
    • The debater made mincemeat of his opponent's argument.
Verb
  1. kill a large number of people indiscriminately
    • The Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda

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