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
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Much like last season, the issues started on the perimeter, where Hurley says some of his players have gotten worse over the course of the year, and trickled into the paint, where rim protection has been lacking.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
The river was usually little more than a trickle.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trickle
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Verb
In overtime, Megan Keller dangled around a Team Canada defender and tossed a backhand toward the net that got through Ann-Renée Desbiens’ right arm and trickled into the net for the gold medal victory.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Much like last season, the issues started on the perimeter, where Hurley says some of his players have gotten worse over the course of the year, and trickled into the paint, where rim protection has been lacking.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
In the spring, rivers that usually offer waist-high whitewater rapids and fishing pools will instead be a trickle; in the summer, farmers will lose peach crops.
—Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
The river was usually little more than a trickle.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 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 28 Feb. 2026.
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