chop down

chop down

1. To fell; to cut down. Usually refers to cutting down a tree. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "down." We had to chop down that old tree to keep it from falling onto our house. It would be a shame to have to chop that old oak down just to make room for a parking lot.
2. To destroy or reject something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "down." Now that the CEO has chopped down our idea, we need to come up with something better.
See also: chop, down
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

chop something down

 
1. Lit. to cut down something, such as a tree, with an ax. Please don't chop my favorite tree down. Don't chop down this tree!
2. Fig. to destroy something, such as a plan or an idea. The committee chopped the idea down in its early stages. They chopped down a great idea!
See also: chop, down
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • cut down
  • chop out
  • chop up
  • chop back
  • ask down
  • batter
  • batter down
  • brush down
  • bear down
  • bolt down
References in periodicals archive
But the hospital insists that only half the number of trees they have been accused of wanting to chop down actually exist and many of those will die within a decade.
Pledge to plant many new trees if Springfield Park plan is approved
STREET PROTEST: Fourteen-year-old Kaytie McFadden and neighbour Angela McMahon stand in front of other Bray Lane residents during the Save Our Tree campaign, which failed to persuade the city council to call a halt to their plan to chop down the row of lime trees.
THE AXE FALLS; Youngsters' hopes sent crashing as council insists on chopping down trees
University groundstaff were forced to chop down the weeping willow, which stood outside the Hatton Gallery, as it had become dangerously unstable due to decay.
Sad day for weeping willow
Demonstrator Daniel Jewell said: ``They were trying to chop down the mature trees and we could not let that happen.
TREE FIGHT DEMO BLOW
The tree surgeon was drinking with friends in a pub in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray on Friday night when they challenged him to chop down the tree.
Surgeon's tree dare
Right now, when you chop down a forest, it just goes into the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
TED TURNER: Billionaire, Media Mogul ... and Environmentalist
"We might chop down the last tree," Hoppe says, before we know what we've lost.
Trees vs. people?
WOLVERHAMPTON Council has scrapped plans to chop down several mature trees to create an overspill car park at the city's Bantock Park.
Council backtracks on plan to axe trees; Back to the drawing board for controversial park proposal
Shakarneh added that settlers have recently intensified their attacks against the lands of Nahalin; they have persisted in their attempts to level the Palestinian villagers lands, pumper wastewater into them and uproot and chop down villagers' trees.
Israeli Settlers Chop Down Roman-Era Olive Trees in Bethlehem Village
"At a time when ash trees are being wiped out, why must we intentionally chop down healthy Chesterwood Road horse chestnut trees?" He added: "Residents do not wish to see magnificent healthy trees destroyed."
Firm to meet residents on trees fears
But workmen were seen to chop down the tree and the plaque has also disappeared.
Special tree felled
Council work-ers will move in next month to chop down trees in a leafy suburb after reaching agreement with protesters.
Tree pledge from council