trickled; trickling
ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to issue or fall in drops
b
: to flow in a thin gentle stream
2
a
: to move or go one by one or little by little
customers began to trickle in
b
: to dissipate slowly
his enthusiasm trickled away
: a thin, slow, or intermittent stream or movement
Examples of trickle in a Sentence
Verb
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
Water was trickling out of the gutter.
People trickled into the theater.
Donations have been trickling in.
Noun
We heard the trickle of water from the roof.
The flow of water slowed to a trickle.
Sales have slowed to a trickle in recent weeks.
A slow trickle of customers came into the store throughout the day.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Alarming reports trickled out during The Valley’s hiatus, mostly about Jax: his cocaine addiction; his stint in rehab, during which Brittany filed for divorce; his diagnosis, after years of Bravo fans’ armchair psychoanalysis, of bipolar and PTSD; a second rehab stay.
—Judy Berman, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Aug. 2025
As Juneteenth celebrations in downtown Miami faded into a sluggish Thursday night, a trickle of guests made their way past the red velvet ropes and security guards at Lucky Strike.
—Shanae Hardy, Billboard, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
As lunchtime neared, around 15 people trickled in at 812 N.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Alarming reports trickled out during The Valley’s hiatus, mostly about Jax: his cocaine addiction; his stint in rehab, during which Brittany filed for divorce; his diagnosis, after years of Bravo fans’ armchair psychoanalysis, of bipolar and PTSD; a second rehab stay.
—Judy Berman, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Earnings season slows to a trickle next week, before Nvidia draws attention once more at the end of the month.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Aug. 2025
As Juneteenth celebrations in downtown Miami faded into a sluggish Thursday night, a trickle of guests made their way past the red velvet ropes and security guards at Lucky Strike.
—Shanae Hardy, Billboard, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share