whittle down
verb
whittled down; whittling down; whittles down
: to gradually make (something) smaller by removing parts
We whittled the list down to four people.
Examples of whittle down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the World Cup whittling down from 48 teams to 32 teams after an exciting group stage slate, the first two knockout round matches in Arlington are set.
—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 June 2026
As with many double albums (ahem, GN’R’s Use Your Illusions), Load and ReLoad have the songs between them to make up a single four-and-a-half-star album, had Metallica judiciously whittled down the track list and immersed themselves in their newfound other-ness.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2026
When submissions close at the end of July 24, PEOPLE editors will work to whittle down the entries to 10 furry finalists.
—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
The 2026 free-agent class has been whittled down by stars signing extensions with their current teams.
—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
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Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 June 2026
As with many double albums (ahem, GN’R’s Use Your Illusions), Load and ReLoad have the songs between them to make up a single four-and-a-half-star album, had Metallica judiciously whittled down the track list and immersed themselves in their newfound other-ness.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2026
When submissions close at the end of July 24, PEOPLE editors will work to whittle down the entries to 10 furry finalists.
—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
The 2026 free-agent class has been whittled down by stars signing extensions with their current teams.
—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
Cite this Entry
“Whittle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle%20down. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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