cut a swathe through

cut a swath through (something)

To cause a lot of damage or suffering in a specific area or population. It seems that the high winds cut a swath through our neighborhood last night, blowing down trees and power lines on nearly every street. Severe malnourishment has certainly cut a swath through this part of the globe. The wildfires have cut a wide swath through forests all across California.

See also: cut, swath, through

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

cut a swathe through

pass through something causing great damage, destruction, or change.

A swathe was the area cut by a single sweep of a mower's scythe, and so the width of a strip of grass or corn cut in this way.

See also: cut, swathe, through

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