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
Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Fewer than three hours later, however, most of that throng trickled out of the stadium in disappointment after watching the Mustangs break a scoreless game at halftime en route to a 21-0 victory.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025
When Meta opened a data center in Georgia, kitchen taps turned to a trickle, The New York Times reports.
—Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
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Verb
There’s been a whirlwind of change that started to trickle into your social life in recent months, Leo.
—Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Fewer than three hours later, however, most of that throng trickled out of the stadium in disappointment after watching the Mustangs break a scoreless game at halftime en route to a 21-0 victory.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
That, in my opinion, would be the single biggest unique selling point when this tech trickles into mainstream automotive manufacture.
—New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025
When Meta opened a data center in Georgia, kitchen taps turned to a trickle, The New York Times reports.
—Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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