thin the herd
to cull, to reduce the size of a group
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The manager decided to thin the herd to save money.”
“The company had too many employees, so they decided to thin the herd during the annual review.”
“In an effort to ensure the long-term survival of the species, the park rangers were forced to thin the herd of deer grazing in the valley.”
- 01
have a thin time of it
To be in a difficult or precarious situation due to one not having enough money.
- 02
herd cats
To attempt to control the uncontrollable; to attempt to manage a great many unruly factors or people to a single end.
- 03
on thin ice
Dangerously, hazardously, delicately.
- 04
out of thin air
From nowhere or nothing; from a non-existent or unknown source.
- 05
ride herd on
To supervise.
- 06
skate on thin ice
To be (or to place oneself) in a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.
- 07
spread oneself thin
To commit oneself to too many projects, so that there is little chance of completing them all satisfactorily.
- 08
thick and thin
Both good and bad times.
Last updated August 10, 2026