whittle down
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
While Brooks initially told Groening the shorts would be about two minutes long, they were drastically whittled down.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
At the time, the fintech company boasted around 4,500 staffers—and after letting natural attrition run its course at a rate of 20% of workers leaving each year—the workforce was whittled down to 3,500 by 2024.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 1 June 2026
But the decades have whittled down the vibrant community of the past.
—Hannah Brueske, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
In recent days, Senate supporters have whittled down the scope of the plan, authorizing it only for Cook County and Chicago sites rather than statewide as Pritzker originally intended.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
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Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
At the time, the fintech company boasted around 4,500 staffers—and after letting natural attrition run its course at a rate of 20% of workers leaving each year—the workforce was whittled down to 3,500 by 2024.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 1 June 2026
But the decades have whittled down the vibrant community of the past.
—Hannah Brueske, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
In recent days, Senate supporters have whittled down the scope of the plan, authorizing it only for Cook County and Chicago sites rather than statewide as Pritzker originally intended.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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