mow down

Kill in droves

To mow down is to kill or destroy in large numbers, as if cutting grass with a scythe.

A gunman mows down victims; an army mows down enemy forces.

The image is of humans falling like stalks of grain: The machine gun mowed down the advancing troops.

Less grimly, to mow down opponents in competition is to defeat them decisively.

killing

massacre

Large-scale unlawful killing

slaughterKilling for meat
annihilateDestroy completely, leaving nothing
decimateDestroy a large portion

carnage · rampage · spray · strafe · machine gun · eliminate · wipe out · butcher · bloodbath · onslaught

overwhelm

overpower

Defeat by superior force

dominateControl through superior strength
crushCompress with force
demolishDestroy completely

steamroll · trample · flatten · destroy · obliterate · rout · vanquish · decimate · defeat · conquer

cutting

scythe

Manual crop-cutting implement

sickleCurved hand-held harvesting blade
swathWide strip or area
haymakingCuring grass for storage

reap · harvest · slash · trim · clip · shear · swipe · clear · flatten · level

Categories

bring downtopple, fell, overthrow, dethrone, oust
Destroydestroy, annihilate, obliterate, demolish, devastate
destruction verbsdestroy, demolish, wreck, ruin, smash
Reduceshrink, diminish, decrease, lessen, reduce

Opposites

destruction vs preservation

mow downsave

Protect from loss

rescue · spare · protect · preserve · shield

indiscriminate vs selective action

mow downpick off

Eliminate one at a time

single out · surgical strike · precision strike · discriminate · assassinate

knocking down vs raising up

mow downraise up

Elevate or exalt

erect · stand up · lift up · prop up · build up

Family

down, mow, downs, mower, mowing, mowed, downed, lawnmower, downing

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG