Language Focus: narrow down / rule out / add up

narrow downphrasal verb

To reduce a large number of possibilities to a smaller, more manageable group.

Examples

1 After the first round of interviews, we narrowed the candidates down to three.
2 I've narrowed my choices down to just three apartments, but I haven't decided yet.
3 The police narrowed it down to two suspects after checking the security footage.
4 Once we factored in the budget, we narrowed our options down to just one venue.

rule outphrasal verb

To decide that something is not possible, suitable, or worth considering.

Examples

1 The doctor ran some tests and ruled out anything serious. It was just a mild infection.
2 We wanted to hold the event outside, but the weather ruled that out, so we moved everything inside.
3 Don't rule out the quiet candidate — her written proposal was the strongest one we received.
4 Investigators have not yet ruled out the possibility that the fire was started deliberately.

add upphrasal verb

When facts or details add up, they make sense together and seem believable. When they don't add up, something seems wrong or inconsistent.

Examples

1 Something about his story doesn't add up. He says he was home all evening, but people saw his car outside the office.
2 We're showing strong revenue, but we're still losing money. The numbers just don't add up.
3 She said she was too busy to call, but she also said she relaxed at home all weekend. That doesn't add up.
4 Nobody could understand why the project kept failing, but slowly things began to add up — the problem was in the original design.