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
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 11 Sep. 2024
Accolades for the funky, irreverent menu began to trickle in, including Addison’s review.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024
Zoe Jaeger, Journal Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2024
While the floodgates haven’t been thrown open quite yet (today marks the fifth day of competition for an event that will close out on Aug. 11), the early sales trickle suggests that NBCU may be positioned to build on what it’s already heralded as a record Olympics revenue figure.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trickle 
Verb
But the plan has drawn criticism from economists and pundits on both sides of the aisle, who say that taxes on foreign imports will end up trickling down to the consumer and prompting potential retaliatory tariffs from trade partners.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 11 Sep. 2024
Accolades for the funky, irreverent menu began to trickle in, including Addison’s review.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024
Noun
Friday late morning offers the best chance of catching sunlight before rain trickles in around 3 p.m., said meteorologist Kevin Skow.
—Zoe Jaeger, Journal Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2024
While the floodgates haven’t been thrown open quite yet (today marks the fifth day of competition for an event that will close out on Aug. 11), the early sales trickle suggests that NBCU may be positioned to build on what it’s already heralded as a record Olympics revenue figure.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trickle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trickle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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