# pare down

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pare-down
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To reduce by paring or a similar gradual process.

## Examples

- I need to pare down my expenses this month.
- The editor asked the writer to pare down the long report to its most important facts.
- To improve the efficiency of the organization, the director decided to pare down the bloated bureaucracy by removing several unnecessary layers of management.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.