whittle

1 of 2

verb

whit·​tle ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl How to pronounce whittle (audio)
whittled; whittling ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce whittle (audio)
ˈ(h)wit-liŋ

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

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
whittler
ˈ(h)wit-lər
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl-ər How to pronounce whittle (audio)
noun

whittle

2 of 2

noun

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
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
Though his average has slumped to .219 this season, and he’s hit only four homers in 41 games, Doyle has whittled his strikeout percentage to 23.5. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025 This left Roosevelt struggling to whittle the distance between the two sides, reducing the Japanese demands for money and the Russian designs on all of Sakhalin. Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025 There was a lot of tut-tutting from some corners as G-III used to sell the brand in 450 Macy’s doors — but then again, even Macy’s doesn’t want to be in 450 of its doors and is whittling the chain down to its best locations. Evan Clark, Footwear News, 12 June 2025 The lawsuit had focused on almost 150 jets and some engines, previously with a total value of up to $4.7 billion, though settlements – including on the first day of the trial in October – have whittled the numbers down. Reuters, CNN Money, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for whittle

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English whittel, alteration of thwitel, from thwiten to whittle, from Old English thwītan; akin to Old Norse thveita to hew

First Known Use

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whittle was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

whittle

verb
whit·​tle
ˈhwit-ᵊl,
ˈwit-
whittled; whittling
-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
a
: to shave or cut off chips from the surface of wood with a knife
b
: to shape or form by so shaving or cutting
2
: to reduce gradually : pare
whittle down expenses
whittler
-lər
-ᵊl-ər
noun

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