What is "whittle down"

Usage examples of "whittle down".

Everything they had worked for, all the sacrifices, all the struggle to whittle down the Imperial Order, had just been nullified.

It was beginning to look to Fitzduane as if his plan to whittle down the opposition in a killing ground might backfire.

Going on that assumption, I can whittle down the choices to a short list.

In the long run, the crucial objective must be to eliminate or whittle down their overall tonnage advantage by bringing them to action on terms most advantageous to us as quickly and decisively as possible.

Blade only hoped that the traps that the other two were about to set would whittle down the numbers so that the inevitable siege would be survivable.

Or, if all else fails, for us to whittle down the number of Ghost Warriors to the point that the city might stand a chance.