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
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have all made their excuses and left the fight for Premier League survival, whittling it down to just two potential candidates to join Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship next season.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 12 May 2026
But the 30 or so deaths earlier this year due to bird flu has whittled the number of swans down to about 44, a city official said.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
His work as an accountant had spared him the sun marks and whittled skin that Mother carried.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle
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Verb
After much discussion, the council whittled that list down to three options before asking staffers to conduct more research before the council decides whether to put those choices to voters.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have all made their excuses and left the fight for Premier League survival, whittling it down to just two potential candidates to join Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship next season.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 12 May 2026
But the 30 or so deaths earlier this year due to bird flu has whittled the number of swans down to about 44, a city official said.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
His work as an accountant had spared him the sun marks and whittled skin that Mother carried.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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