Idiom
mow down someonemow down (someone/something)
to violently cause someone or something to fall.The car skidded along the side of the road and mowed down several mailboxes before coming to a stop.A young woman was mowed down in a public market by narcotics traffickers.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of mow down (= to cut grasses or grains that fall over as they are cut)