further narrow down

USAGE SUMMARY

"further narrow down" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It means to make something more specific or precise by reducing the options or possibilities. Example: After conducting a broad search, we need to further narrow down our list of potential candidates for the job.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Search for companies based on your major (or intended major) and further narrow down your search by geographic location.

Cornell University

To further narrow down the TF list, we used previously published transcriptome data of various organs ref. 21 and examined the expression of the 17 TFs (Fig. 1e).

Nature

Once Home Depot assesses the damage in each location — from power failures to flooding to roof damage — it can further narrow down what supplies to send where.

The New York Times

To further narrow down which candidate motif(s) are critical for ATP binding, we comprehensively examined the influence of alanine substitution of the evolutionarily identical residues in each motif on KpBest and hBest1 (Fig. 4a).

Nature

To further narrow down sites of TRIM24 ubiquitination, we examined post-translational modification sites on TRIM24 (www.phosphosite.org) and identified five ubiquitination sites: K303, K325, K341, K458, and K1002 (Supplementary Fig. 3f).

Nature

To further narrow down to the interacting domains, we created smaller GST-tagged TRIM24 truncation mutants of the N-terminal region and second-round of GST pull-down pinpointed the B1B2 domain (aa100 260) as essential for TRIM28 interaction (Fig. 2e).

Nature

To further narrow down the qualitative analysis, a GC-FID total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was also used.

International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering

We failed to develop more polymorphic markers to further narrow down the candidate region, so we sequenced and analyzed all 24 ORFs.

Rice

To further narrow down target audiences, in March the company began monitoring two of the most popular sites (one for cars, the other for cosmetics) outside Mixi.

Forbes

No significance difference in the glossiness of cooked rice between CR20 (66.1) and Hwaseong (66.1 and 69.0), and CR56 and Hwaseong (68.9 and 69.0) was observed and these two lines will be useful to further narrow down the candidate region.

Rice

To further narrow down the field, artists I've previously seen in a headlining situation were eliminated.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "further narrow down" when you have an initial set of options and want to refine them to a more manageable or relevant subset. For example, "After reviewing hundreds of applications, the hiring manager will further narrow down the candidates to the top ten."

Common error

Avoid using "further narrow down" in contexts where simply "narrow down" suffices. Redundancy can clutter your writing and make it less impactful. For example, instead of saying "Let's further narrow down the scope now that we have narrowed down the scope", just say "Let's narrow down the scope."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "further narrow down" primarily functions as a verb phrase. It indicates an action to refine or reduce a set of options, building on a previous reduction. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is considered correct and is commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

66%

News & Media

18%

Academia

4%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "further narrow down" is a grammatically correct and very common verb phrase used to describe the action of refining or reducing a set of options. As Ludwig AI indicates, it’s suitable for various contexts, with a primary presence in scientific, news, and academic writing. When writing, remember that alternatives like "refine the selection", "reduce the scope", and "hone in on" can provide nuanced alternatives, but avoid overuse in overly concise writing where "narrow down" alone suffices. The frequency analysis shows it appears most often in scientific publications, indicating its utility in describing research methodologies and results.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

filter the results

Indicates applying criteria to remove unwanted elements.

pare down the options

Implies a systematic reduction of available choices.

whittle down the list

Similar to 'pare down', but suggests a gradual reduction.

refine the selection

Focuses on improving the existing choices through careful consideration.

limit the field

Emphasizes making the options narrower or smaller.

hone in on

Suggests a sharper, more focused approach to identifying the key element.

reduce the scope

Emphasizes limiting the extent or range being considered.

pinpoint the exact

Highlights the act of identifying a specific item or detail.

specify more precisely

Focuses on adding detail to clarify and restrict the scope.

streamline the process

Suggests making a process more efficient by removing unnecessary steps.

FAQs

How can I use "further narrow down" in a sentence?

You can use "further narrow down" to indicate a process of refinement, like, "To select the best candidate, we need to "further narrow down" the applicant pool based on their qualifications."

What's the difference between "narrow down" and "further narrow down"?

"Narrow down" indicates reducing options, while "further narrow down" suggests an additional refinement of an already reduced set. For instance, "We narrowed down the choices to five, and then "further narrow down" to the top three."

What are some alternatives to using "further narrow down"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "refine the selection", "reduce the scope", or "hone in on" as alternatives to "further narrow down".

Is it always necessary to use "further" before "narrow down"?

No, it's not always necessary. "Further" is used to emphasize that you are refining something that has already been narrowed. If you are just beginning the process of reducing options, "narrow down" is sufficient.