whittle down

verb

whittled down; whittling down; whittles down
Synonyms of whittle downnext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ludwig said the team whittled down from that list to account for balance across the four precincts and reasonable proximity to another location. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026 The September list numbered 115 stocks, down from 121 in August and, of those, the firm whittled down the top 20. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 Originally conceived as a $23-billion bond measure that the Legislature would approve to go before voters in November, it was whittled down to $12 billion. — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 And just like the C-suite trends seen across real estate, tech, and finance, women’s representation is whittled down at each layer. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whittle down

Rhymes for whittle down

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Browse Nearby Words

whittle away
whittle down
whittler
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Cite this Entry

“Whittle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle%20down. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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