trickle

1 of 2

verb

trick·​le ˈtri-kəl How to pronounce trickle (audio)
trickled; trickling ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce trickle (audio)

intransitive verb

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

trickle

2 of 2

noun

: 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
Verb
In the past few years, regulatory bodies overseeing high-level sports have struggled to find a balance between inclusion and fair play, and the issue’s prominence in right-wing media has trickled down to impact even local recreational sports. Michelle Watson, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Validating vaccine hesitancy has been a staple of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration, and that hesitancy has trickled down to routine immunizations for schools, experts said. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 This model not only amplifies the tangible benefits to communities but also allows employees to build a shared sense of purpose which will ultimately trickle down to retention and job satisfaction. Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Clara Hendrickson Voting in Michigan in the state's presidential primary officially ended at 8 p.m. Tuesday, but tallies of the vote trickled in well into the evening and through the early hours of Wednesday morning. Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 As the victory parade ended and people trickled out of the area, dozens of people began running from an event stage. Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024 That success has trickled down to domestic production, which is surging: Last year, the industry saw 30% growth based on the amount disbursed by the incentive scheme, according to Drazdauskas, with much of that attributed to Lithuanian films and series. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 Feb. 2024 Zach Parise’s first with the franchise came with 26.3 seconds left in the first on a shot that hit Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov and trickled across the goal line. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2024 The set was originally supposed to debut on Feb. 9 after a Chicago listening event, but ultimately trickled out (with a false start or two) on streaming services over Feb. 10. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 18 Feb. 2024
Noun
Israel's seal on the territory, which allows in only a trickle of food and other aid, has sparked alarm that a famine could be imminent, according to the United Nations. Tia Goldenberg, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2024 But the Colorado’s flow was inconsistent, fiercely fickle between torrential floods and trickles. Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024 Rainwater trickles off the roof and softly down the wood like a light shower in a rain forest, Rice said. David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 17 Feb. 2024 And then, for the next few minutes, the two prepare together as the rest of the team trickles onto the ice. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 The central figure slurps one into her mouth, a faint trickle of paint running down her chin. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024 The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in early 2015 that job growth would soon slow to a trickle, just enough to keep up with population growth. Ben Casselman, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 In the years since, a slow trickle of MAX news has served as mileposts in my career. USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 Indeed, portions of the state’s water infrastructure were designed for the slow trickle of snowmelt, not the rapid deluge of rain, according to state climatologist Mike Anderson. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trickle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English trikelen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trickle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near trickle

Cite this Entry

“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trickle

verb
trick·​le
ˈtrik-əl
trickled; trickling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
a
: to flow or fall in drops
water trickling from a leaky faucet
b
: to flow in a thin slow stream
syrup trickling from the bottle
2
a
: to move or go one by one or little by little
customers trickled in
b
: to slowly grow less
his excitement trickled away
trickle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on trickle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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