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
Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table has been whittled down to just four points.
—
Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
This gives solid proof and helps whittle down your wardrobe.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026
The final nominees for awards will be whittled down and shared on Tuesday, March 31.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
The president has whittled down the field to four candidates to succeed current Chair Jerome Powell and a decision is forthcoming, Bessent told CNBC during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
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Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
This gives solid proof and helps whittle down your wardrobe.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026
The final nominees for awards will be whittled down and shared on Tuesday, March 31.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
The president has whittled down the field to four candidates to succeed current Chair Jerome Powell and a decision is forthcoming, Bessent told CNBC during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 Jan. 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 31 Jan. 2026.
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