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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of whittle
The current field of eight remaining drivers in the playoffs will be whittled to four by the results of Sunday’s race.
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Bruce Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
In the wake of the victory, Phillips reflected on the Dodgers’ current situation in the standings — where their once nine-game lead was whittled to as little as two games a couple weeks ago.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024
The best time for the Cardinals to strike was the third inning when a big hit could have whittled deeper into a 5-0 deficit.
—Katie Woo, The Athletic, 2 Aug. 2024
By the end of December, the PEO staff had whittled the list down to 13 companies.
—Tom Davenport, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle 
Bruce Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
In the wake of the victory, Phillips reflected on the Dodgers’ current situation in the standings — where their once nine-game lead was whittled to as little as two games a couple weeks ago.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024
The best time for the Cardinals to strike was the third inning when a big hit could have whittled deeper into a 5-0 deficit.
—Katie Woo, The Athletic, 2 Aug. 2024
By the end of December, the PEO staff had whittled the list down to 13 companies.
—Tom Davenport, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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The fires have forced nearly 180,000 people to evacuate, cut power to nearly half a million customers and burned thousands of homes.Evan Bush, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
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Supporters say such facilities cut the risk of overdose and infection, reduce the costs of acute hospital admissions, and put users in touch with health care professionals who can offer drug addiction treatment.Stephen Castle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Pulse oximeters clip on to a person’s finger and use two wavelengths of light sent into the skin to quickly estimate how much oxygen is flowing through the blood based on how much light is absorbed.Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
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Watch on Deadline Honoree Magic Johnson towered over Biden, and lowered down on his knees so the president could clip the medal around his neck.Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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His evening ceremonies were pared down compared to events held around town for Obama's two inaugurations.Anna Spiegel, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
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The end-result: What was a 26 episode order was pared down to just 20 episodes.Marc Berman, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The agency said traffic entering the congestion pricing zone — Manhattan south of 60th Street — and on nearby highways had dropped 7.5 percent compared with an estimate of an average workday in January before congestion pricing began last week.James Barron, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
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After Trump was elected president in November, Smith dropped the cases against him entirely.Kyler Alvord, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This significant gap not only limits potential growth but also curtails innovation in the market.Elena Volotovskaya, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
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People asserting their personal freedoms to decline vaccines for their kids can ultimately curtail the ability of others to live full lives, Christiansen said.Daniel Chang and Sam Whitehead | KFF Health News, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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