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
Kershaw is not a luxury item, but a valuable depth piece for a pitching staff that has already been whittled down by injury through the season’s first month and a half.
—
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The population has been mostly whittled down to Florida and parts of southern Georgia, although the Central Florida Zoo has also released Eastern indigos in Alabama.
—Olivia Lloyd, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2025
The election will be ranked choice, meaning there will be no political primary to whittle down the field, and voters will be allowed to choose more than one candidate in order of preference.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025
The firm also whittled down its price target, noting concerns tied to tariffs and the economic backdrop.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
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Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The population has been mostly whittled down to Florida and parts of southern Georgia, although the Central Florida Zoo has also released Eastern indigos in Alabama.
—Olivia Lloyd, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2025
The election will be ranked choice, meaning there will be no political primary to whittle down the field, and voters will be allowed to choose more than one candidate in order of preference.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025
The firm also whittled down its price target, noting concerns tied to tariffs and the economic backdrop.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Apr. 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 23 May. 2025.
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