They have gradually whittled down the likely hiding places to three areas of several hundred miles each.

"They've gradually whittled us down to zero," Mr. LeRoy said, calling the decisions a symptom of what is in store for many smaller arts groups that serve minorities.

After the transfer, the territories were gradually whittled away.

And so the gold had sat, safe in its hiding place, save for the one ingot being gradually whittled away and disposed of by Ulysses.

The program was gradually whittled away, with only the ton 150 and 200-Series (and heavy-duty 500s) remaining by the time the 1975s were introduced.

Tenaka, Subodai and Renya had an hour's start on the tribesmen, but this was gradually whittled back for, despite the strength of the Drenai mounts, Tenaka's horse now carried double.

While Isas have always protected investors from CGT, their value as a safe haven from equity income tax has been gradually whittled away over the years.

Now Quaker has gradually whittled away at the confusion and suspicions among the distributors, demonstrating superior operating skills.

As the observational evidence for dark matter has piled up in the intervening years, scientists have gradually whittled down the list of potential candidates.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922 had been gradually whittled away by Éamon de Valera.