whittle away
phrasal verb
whittled away; whittling away; whittles away
: to reduce or get rid of (something) slowly
I'm still trying to whittle away a few more pounds.
Examples of whittle away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But that has been whittled away by new state laws and court rulings.
—
Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
There was also relief after what seemed like an insurmountable lead at the turn of the year had been slowly whittled away by the chasing pack.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
As February continues, the bracket and seeding possibilities whittle away.
—Mark Schindler, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
Still, opposition figures have not failed to notice how setbacks in the war have whittled away at Mr. Zelensky’s popularity.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle away
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Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
There was also relief after what seemed like an insurmountable lead at the turn of the year had been slowly whittled away by the chasing pack.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
As February continues, the bracket and seeding possibilities whittle away.
—Mark Schindler, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
Still, opposition figures have not failed to notice how setbacks in the war have whittled away at Mr. Zelensky’s popularity.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle away
Cite this Entry
“Whittle away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle%20away. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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