whit·tle
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl 
whittled; whittling
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl-iŋ
ˈ(h)wit-liŋ
1
a
: to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife
b
: to shape or form by so paring or cutting
2
: to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife : pare
whittle down expenses
1
: to cut or shape something (such as wood) by or as if by paring it with a knife
2
: to wear oneself or another out with fretting
archaic
: a large knife
Examples of whittle in a Sentence
Verb
He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
She whittled a walking stick from a maple tree branch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
Ukrainian officials met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and whittled the plan down.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
But even bad songs are tough to whittle into a list and culling some of the worst offenders is highly subjective.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Kyiv and its European allies hastily amended that plan, whittling it down to 19 proposals, with Ukrainian officials travelling to Florida last weekend for more talks on the proposals.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
More rules are set to be whittled further, such as the waste framework directive, which could see the repeal of the only database that contains information on chemicals of concern used in Europe.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
Ukrainian officials met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and whittled the plan down.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
But even bad songs are tough to whittle into a list and culling some of the worst offenders is highly subjective.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Kyiv and its European allies hastily amended that plan, whittling it down to 19 proposals, with Ukrainian officials travelling to Florida last weekend for more talks on the proposals.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share