whittled; whittling
ˈ(h)wit-liŋ,
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl-iŋ
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
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
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
The law, which mandated changes that included whittling the unwieldy 108-question form down to a more manageable 36, originally envisioned the new form being ready for students by the fall of 2022.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle 
Verb
Still, the clock is ticking for Hayes, who will have to whittle her team down to 18 for Paris.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
The law, which mandated changes that included whittling the unwieldy 108-question form down to a more manageable 36, originally envisioned the new form being ready for students by the fall of 2022.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whittle.' 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 whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
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