# slashing

/ˈsɫæʃɪŋ/ (US) · /slˈæʃɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slashing
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

to reduce something by a large amount very quickly. You often hear this when prices or budgets are cut suddenly.

For teachers: to reduce prices, costs, or quantities drastically and rapidly. Often used in financial or commercial contexts to describe aggressive cost-cutting measures.

## Examples

- The store is slashing prices for the summer sale.
- The airline decided to start slashing ticket prices to attract more travelers during the off-season.
- Faced with a significant budget deficit, the administration began slashing funding for public infrastructure projects, sparking a heated debate among local representatives.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The prices were slashing." but "The store was slashing prices." — Slashing is a transitive verb; it needs an agent doing the cutting and an object being cut.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, such as 'prices', 'costs', or 'budgets'.

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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.