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
Since February 2022, using unmanned attack drones, Ukraine has successfully sunk or damaged Russian ships and whittled away at Russia’s Black sea fleet, sinking about 15 of its prewar fleet of about 36 warships and damaging many others.
—
Colin Flint, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
The New Climate Edicts Among its flurry of actions in its first several weeks, the second Trump administration issued a series of edicts that would whittle away the information sources and regulatory frameworks on which businesses and investors have long relied when managing climate risks.
—John Kostyack, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
And after years of seeing their defensive backfield get whittled away by injuries, the Ravens would happily sign up for the alternative.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 23 July 2024
But that has been whittled away by new state laws and court rulings.
—Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle away
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Colin Flint, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
The New Climate Edicts Among its flurry of actions in its first several weeks, the second Trump administration issued a series of edicts that would whittle away the information sources and regulatory frameworks on which businesses and investors have long relied when managing climate risks.
—John Kostyack, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
And after years of seeing their defensive backfield get whittled away by injuries, the Ravens would happily sign up for the alternative.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 23 July 2024
But that has been whittled away by new state laws and court rulings.
—Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 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 4 Apr. 2025.
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