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
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The Canadiens appeared to gain a 3-1 lead one minute later when Josh Anderson’s backhand trickled through Lyon as Phillip Danault crashed the crease.
—ABC News, 10 May 2026
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
Soundcore Noise Cancelling Earbuds Deal The trickle effect of silence is profound.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trickle
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
The students distributed their poems for the following week and then trickled, one by one, into the hall.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The Canadiens appeared to gain a 3-1 lead one minute later when Josh Anderson’s backhand trickled through Lyon as Phillip Danault crashed the crease.
—ABC News, 10 May 2026
Noun
This year, ahead of the Marché du Film, there’s been a slow trickle of just a few of note.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
Soundcore Noise Cancelling Earbuds Deal The trickle effect of silence is profound.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 May 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 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
