trickled; trickling
ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ 
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
: 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
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
The Giants broke the scoreless tie when Luis Arraez scored in the sixth on an infield single by Rafael Devers, running home when Austin Riley’s throw bounced off Olson’s glove and trickled away from him and down the right-field line.
—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
But in recent times, new natural products have been harder to find, and the pipeline of new antibiotics has slowed to a trickle.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for trickle
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Verb
All season, Shamea and Porsha have circled each other, barely uttering a direct word, but the tensions seep to the rest of the group, trickling into every interaction.
—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
The Giants broke the scoreless tie when Luis Arraez scored in the sixth on an infield single by Rafael Devers, running home when Austin Riley’s throw bounced off Olson’s glove and trickled away from him and down the right-field line.
—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
Noun
The groom believes the trickle of a shower was his father’s presence, offering his blessing.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
But in recent times, new natural products have been harder to find, and the pipeline of new antibiotics has slowed to a trickle.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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