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 Goldman Sachs alum also whittled down his positions in DiaMedica Therapeutics and OneMain Holdings by more than 38% and 16%, respectively.
—
Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Trejo said the options had been whittled down from thousands of titles suggested in a statewide teachers survey.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
But could the difference really be whittled down to 36 inches?
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
In the years since, a series of treaties and agreements between the two countries gradually whittled down that number.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle down
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Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Trejo said the options had been whittled down from thousands of titles suggested in a statewide teachers survey.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
But could the difference really be whittled down to 36 inches?
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
In the years since, a series of treaties and agreements between the two countries gradually whittled down that number.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 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 21 Feb. 2026.
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