whit·tle
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl 
whittled; whittling
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl-iŋ
ˈ(h)wit-liŋ
1
a
: to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife
b
: to shape or form by so paring or cutting
2
: to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife : pare
whittle down expenses
1
: to cut or shape something (such as wood) by or as if by paring it with a knife
2
: to wear oneself or another out with fretting
archaic
: a large knife
Examples of whittle in a Sentence
Verb
He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
She whittled a walking stick from a maple tree branch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
This left Roosevelt struggling to whittle the distance between the two sides, reducing the Japanese demands for money and the Russian designs on all of Sakhalin.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025
There was a lot of tut-tutting from some corners as G-III used to sell the brand in 450 Macy’s doors — but then again, even Macy’s doesn’t want to be in 450 of its doors and is whittling the chain down to its best locations.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 12 June 2025
The lawsuit had focused on almost 150 jets and some engines, previously with a total value of up to $4.7 billion, though settlements – including on the first day of the trial in October – have whittled the numbers down.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
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Verb
Though his average has slumped to .219 this season, and he’s hit only four homers in 41 games, Doyle has whittled his strikeout percentage to 23.5.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
This left Roosevelt struggling to whittle the distance between the two sides, reducing the Japanese demands for money and the Russian designs on all of Sakhalin.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025
There was a lot of tut-tutting from some corners as G-III used to sell the brand in 450 Macy’s doors — but then again, even Macy’s doesn’t want to be in 450 of its doors and is whittling the chain down to its best locations.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 12 June 2025
The lawsuit had focused on almost 150 jets and some engines, previously with a total value of up to $4.7 billion, though settlements – including on the first day of the trial in October – have whittled the numbers down.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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