whittle down to size

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English

Verb

whittle down to size (third-person singular simple present whittles down to size, present participle whittling down to size, simple past and past participle whittled down to size)

  1. Synonym of cut down to size
    • 1999, Matt Braun, El Paso, page 14:
      If he starts playing the big, tough hombre on the southside, those boys are just liable to whittle him down to size."
    • 2012, Sonny Collins, Anasazi Dreams: In Search of Coyote People, page 75:
      She seldom suffered fools. With one withering glance, she could whittle my father, who was a big man, down to size.
    • 2014, Peggy Nicholson, The Baby Bargain:
      And also, they're scared that the girls are going to realize what a hottie you are (which they will, if you ever talk to 'em), so they're trying to whittle you down to size before you steal all the women.