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
Technical skills and virtuosity, a track record for having the ability to complete projects and artistic merit were also considered to whittle down the pool of candidates to about six for the first cut.
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Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 6 June 2025
Meanwhile, the department’s vaunted public integrity section, created in the post-Watergate era to investigate and prosecute public officials for abusing their powers, has been dramatically slashed, whittled down to just a handful of lawyers.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
In recent public statements, Parks disclosed that her budget requests this year received opposition and appeared to have been whittled down.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
The list, now in its 26th year, was compiled from more than 1,000 suggestions from JPMorgan’s client advisors and whittled down by a special review committee.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
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Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 6 June 2025
Meanwhile, the department’s vaunted public integrity section, created in the post-Watergate era to investigate and prosecute public officials for abusing their powers, has been dramatically slashed, whittled down to just a handful of lawyers.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
In recent public statements, Parks disclosed that her budget requests this year received opposition and appeared to have been whittled down.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
The list, now in its 26th year, was compiled from more than 1,000 suggestions from JPMorgan’s client advisors and whittled down by a special review committee.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 20 May 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 13 Jun. 2025.
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