as in to cut
to cause to diminish gradually by or as if by cutting off bits with a knife
He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whittle
After whittling a 24-point, second-half deficit down to a single point with 4.1 seconds left to play, Ven-Allen Lubin stepped to the free-throw line for two shots that could’ve changed the trajectory of UNC’s season.
—
Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025
But President-elect Donald Trump's selection of a number of House Republicans to fill top posts in his administration is pulling from an already shallow bench, temporarily whittling the GOP majority down further as Trump takes office in January.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2024
An 8-2 run punctuated by a floater from Matthew Webber in the lane has whittled the Colorado Academy lead down to 35-30 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2025
Agencies can whittle personnel through layoffs, attrition, removal of underperforming employees, or renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025
But President-elect Donald Trump's selection of a number of House Republicans to fill top posts in his administration is pulling from an already shallow bench, temporarily whittling the GOP majority down further as Trump takes office in January.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2024
An 8-2 run punctuated by a floater from Matthew Webber in the lane has whittled the Colorado Academy lead down to 35-30 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2025
Agencies can whittle personnel through layoffs, attrition, removal of underperforming employees, or renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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The country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry cut its gross domestic product forecast to 0%-2% for 2025, down from its previous outlook of 1%-3%.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
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Place bottoms, cut sides up, in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Two American Airlines planes clipped wings at Reagan National Airport, the FAA said.—
7News WJLA (Washington),
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2025
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Washington — Several members of Congress were on a plane that was sitting on the tarmac waiting to leave Washington on Thursday when it was clipped by another aircraft.—
Kathryn Krupnik,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Boston Globe | Getty Images Europe’s Stoxx Healthcare index was 4.4% lower at 10:02 a.m. in London on Wednesday, paring earlier losses but still trading low enough to lead the regional equity sell-off.—
Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid,Sawdah Bhaimiya,Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
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At the same time, Irvine Company is paring down its downtown holdings.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 320.01 to 37,645.59, and the Nasdaq composite sank 335.35 to 15,267.91.—
Time,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
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Within weeks, the coin dropped nearly 90 percent to $1.50.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Friendship is robbed of its expansiveness and curtailed.—
Priya Vulchi,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
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One huge question is whether the tariff shock will force the U.S. into a recession, as businesses face deep uncertainty and consumers consider curtailing personal spending.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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