whittle down
phrasal 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
After whittling down the competition to his final two choices, Peg Munson and Cindy Cullers, the 66-year-old lead introduced the lucky women to his family on the island of Antigua.
—
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025
Tariffs have also increased the cost of ingredients for her business, whittling down her margins.
—Caitlyn Reilly, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Before that happens, the officeholders and various interest groups may have to whittle down the list.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Even as tariffs from this year’s US trade spat have been whittled down to 20%, Chinese exporters still face what on average amounts to nearly 50% duties on their goods, with pre-existing duties factored in.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025
Tariffs have also increased the cost of ingredients for her business, whittling down her margins.
—Caitlyn Reilly, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Before that happens, the officeholders and various interest groups may have to whittle down the list.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Even as tariffs from this year’s US trade spat have been whittled down to 20%, Chinese exporters still face what on average amounts to nearly 50% duties on their goods, with pre-existing duties factored in.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
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 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share