From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcut a swathe through somethingcut a swathe through somethingliterary to cause a lot of damage in a place or among a group of people A series of bribery scandals has cut a swathe through the government. → cut
Examples from the Corpus
cut a swathe through something• They cut a swathe through the massed black-clad warriors, and then turning swiftly trampled back over their disorganized ranks.• Unemployment is cutting a wide swathe through the West.cut a swathe through somethingcut a swathe through somethingDESTROYto destroy a large amount or part of something → swatheExamples from the Corpus
cut a swathe through something• They cut a swathe through the massed black-clad warriors, and then turning swiftly trampled back over their disorganized ranks. 