Complete the following sentence with the most appropriate option:
Before the camp ends, the selectors must ______ a list of forty probables to the fifteen who will tour Australia.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → whittle down
A phrasal verb is a verb joined with a small word such as up, out or together. The two words together have a new meaning.
Complete sentence: Before the camp ends, the selectors must whittle down a list of forty probables to the fifteen who will tour Australia.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) whittle down (answer) | to make a number or amount smaller, little by little | Neha whittled down her list of colleges from twelve to three. |
| (2) wind down | to bring something slowly to an end, or to relax | The shop began to wind down its business before the owner retired. |
| (3) water down | to make a plan, statement or rule weaker | Under pressure, the board watered down the new fee rules. |
| (4) wear down | to make someone tired or weak, or to make something thinner by use | The long power cuts wore down everyone in the colony. |