whittle down
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trying to whittle down thousands of players from 22 tournaments spread over almost a century to pick the top 10 World Cup legends of all time.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
If you have a highly concentrated stock allocation with large built-up gains, you can gradually whittle down your position and use the $6,000 deduction to minimize or cancel the tax hit, Adams says.
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
Even that won’t be the end of Paramount’s problems since it will have to unlock hefty synergies to whittle down a mountain of debt.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
“American Primeval” “As always, this is one of the tougher categories to whittle down, but my favorite of the year remains ‘The Penguin.’
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2025
The first day is used to whittle down two hundred fencers to forty-eight.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
