trickle

1 of 2

verb

trick·​le ˈtri-kəl 

trickled; trickling ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ 

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

Synonyms of trickle

Verb

• drip
• flow

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

While mushroom poisonings have been concentrated further north, word of the deaths and illnesses has trickled down to Southern California, sparking fear among those who are wary of the spongy wonders, said Rudy Diaz, president of the Los Angeles Mycological Society. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026

Position players will start to trickle into the complex signaling a new season ahead. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026

Noun

Whatever is left trickles down to the public. —Julian Torres, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026

Critics like Benjamin say the trickle of HANs is indicative of the muzzling of the CDC. —Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026

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

Phrases Containing trickle

• trickle-down
• trickle-down theory

Rhymes for trickle

• fickle
• mickle
• nickel
• nickle
• nicol
• pickle
• prickle
• sickle
• tickle
• ventricle

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