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

This problem, largely created prior to 2011, has been whittled down significantly, however, under Lamont’s tenure. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026

Most hiring managers use the tech not only to whittle down applicants and schedule interviews, but also as a stand-in interviewer. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Fierce fights whittled down 64 bands to one, but in the final round, the winning band won decisively in a 60-40 vote split. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026

That was whittled down to one that raises the homestead threshold for the longest-residing residents, the homesteaders. — Peggy Gossett-Seidman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for whittle down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown