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
The Tigers whittled one of those UK leads down to five points with just over 10 minutes left.
—
Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
After trailing 75-50 in the third quarter, the Spurs whittled the margin to 11 points by the end of the period and opened the fourth with an 18-5 run to take their first lead since the opening minutes.
—Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
On fourth-and-3 from the Washington 8 in the third quarter, rather than take a field goal that would’ve whittled Washington’s lead to 29-21.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Cocurators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer drew up a list of well over 400 creatives, made studio visits to upwards of 300, and whittled the tally down to 56 individuals, duos, and collectives.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
After trailing 75-50 in the third quarter, the Spurs whittled the margin to 11 points by the end of the period and opened the fourth with an 18-5 run to take their first lead since the opening minutes.
—Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
On fourth-and-3 from the Washington 8 in the third quarter, rather than take a field goal that would’ve whittled Washington’s lead to 29-21.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Cocurators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer drew up a list of well over 400 creatives, made studio visits to upwards of 300, and whittled the tally down to 56 individuals, duos, and collectives.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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The Cavaliers led by as many as 36 points, but the Heat went on a third-quarter run to cut the deficit to 19 in the final seconds of the period.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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Reduce the lot size, cut the square footage, and a house should cost less, supporters said.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kodai Sano clipped the bar before the break, and the pressure eventually told when Ito got the breakthrough.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
His Land Rover clipped another vehicle and went over.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lawmakers pared back the idea through the amendment process in February, citing concerns that the original language would swell state spending, box out private pest-control companies and create an unfunded mandate to counties, which historically handle pests that threaten farms and infrastructure.—
Mark Dee
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
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Asian equity markets pared early losses, with some reversing into positive territory on the news.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trains, buses and the Metrorail will drop fans off at the Miami Intermodal Center, which is adjacent to Miami International Airport and across the street from the stadium grounds.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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While temperatures will drop significantly, precipitation totals are expected to remain limited in key drought areas.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The invitation to the leader of the Nationalist Party, Cheng Li-wun, could help Xi bolster his argument to Trump that the United States should curtail weapons sales to Taiwan.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Mar. 2026
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Over more than 50 years, each new presidential administration has reassessed the place of spaceflight among its priorities, either encouraging or curtailing NASA’s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface.—
Emily A. Margolis,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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