as in to cut
to cause to diminish gradually by or as if by cutting off bits with a knife
He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whittle
The group stage of the tournament (June 11-27) will whittle the field from 48 to 32 teams.
—
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Leaders have reinforced that narrative by whittling their workforces in the name of AI.
—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Specifically, retinol smooths fine lines, lessens wrinkle depth, and whittles the appearance of large pores.
—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
In a normal year, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum and his team sift through 25,000 applications, per Backstage, whittling them down to just 18 players per season.
—
Charlotte Walsh,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Leaders have reinforced that narrative by whittling their workforces in the name of AI.
—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Specifically, retinol smooths fine lines, lessens wrinkle depth, and whittles the appearance of large pores.
—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
In a normal year, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum and his team sift through 25,000 applications, per Backstage, whittling them down to just 18 players per season.
—
Charlotte Walsh,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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The lineup already was revving, as Rushing homered in the second inning while Sasaki was still in the game, and both Kyle Tucker and Muncy drove in runs off starter Randy Vasquez in the third, cutting the deficit to two.
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Potential applications beyond wind energy The researchers believe the manufacturing approach could cut production costs for small wind turbines and help more people use lightweight renewable energy technology.
Verb
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At the low end, a dog washing station is a hose, a spray nozzle and somewhere to clip the leash.
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His pass to Luis Romo was perhaps a little short but the midfielder kept his cool, finding Roberto Alvarado, who clipped a gorgeous, inviting pass over the top.
Verb
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Men’s fashion was generally pared back and models sporting it often had natural-looking hair and makeup at the recent Paris catwalk displays for spring 2027.
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With the market suddenly awash with oil, price estimates are being pared across the board.
Verb
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The most violent wind report came from Northbrook, where half of a roof on a 20-car garage was lifted and then dropped, damaging at least seven cars in a parking shelter for a condominium.
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Police release video of the person racing across the roof of the building from where authorities say the shot was fired, dropping down to the ground and walking off campus.
Verb
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Trump has tried to curtail mail-in voting by arguing the ballots easily corruptible, despite casting a ballot by mail himself in March.
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His playing time has been curtailed as a result, though the backstop has still performed well defensively.
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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