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

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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.
These new shutdowns are the latest in a series of moves that have whittled down Netflix’s internal game business, which now consists of Next Games, which is based in Helsinki, as well as a gaming team that works with external developers. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 The jury was whittled down significantly after days of questioning over 100 Clark County residents who’d been yanked from their daily lives and summoned to a Las Vegas courtroom. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 At first, it was thought that over time, governments would want to allow growth to organically whittle down debt-to-income ratios, which is the ideal way to pay down massive peacetime spending and tax cut binges. — Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 Visa likened it to winning the lottery, then seeing the eventual check whittled down drastically. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whittle down

Nglish: Translation of whittle down for Spanish Speakers

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