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
The executive, who had previously held top roles at Buccellati, Lanvin, Moschino, Kering and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, also worked to make Mulberry a more focused company by whittling down the offer to accessories only.
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Samantha Conti, WWD, 9 July 2024
Facing up to 18 months behind bars himself and hefty fines if found guilty, Baldwin was in the courtroom today as the lawyers whittled down the pool of nearly 80 potential jurors.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 July 2024
Over the next few hours, they were whittled down until 200 emerged as the next batch of senators.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 28 June 2024
But with so many brands, materials, and options to choose from, whittling down your search to find the very best outdoor decor can be a doozy.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle down 
Samantha Conti, WWD, 9 July 2024
Facing up to 18 months behind bars himself and hefty fines if found guilty, Baldwin was in the courtroom today as the lawyers whittled down the pool of nearly 80 potential jurors.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 July 2024
Over the next few hours, they were whittled down until 200 emerged as the next batch of senators.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 28 June 2024
But with so many brands, materials, and options to choose from, whittling down your search to find the very best outdoor decor can be a doozy.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle down
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whittle down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Whittle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle%20down. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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