WHITTLE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

whittle

verb

Definition of whittle

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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of whittle Voters set up races for four Orange County commission seats in November by whittling casts of candidates to two in districts 2, 6, 7 and 8. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026 Those closures whittled the company's footprint down to about 70 locations in Arizona and Nevada, which will be permanently shuttered on Wednesday. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 As the drugs whittle waistlines, their impact is rippling beyond the bathroom scale and into a surprisingly wide swath of American life. — Elyse Moody, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026 The Los Angeles mayor is a nonpartisan position, meaning the June 2 primary was not separated by party and simply whittled the pool down to the top two candidates. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for whittle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle

Verb

The defense once again gave the offense an opportunity, forcing an Argyle punt, and this time, Heritage capitalized with a 2-yard rushing TD from Vargas to cut the lead to 7 points.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Later that month, Achilles, a university lecturer, cut a campaign ad in the spirit of a tongue-in-cheek corporate training video on how to avoid starting a foreign war.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

Their participation builds your credibility by association and recordings can be clipped into social content that extends your reach, especially when guests share it too.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
TikTok hosts similar footage, albeit clipped for vertical video and treated with title cards.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of clip

Verb

As conventional grocery stores such as Ralphs and Albertsons pare back locations, Vallarta and other specialty markets are filling the gap, sometimes moving into communities that had lost their go-to supermarkets.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
All of the nails were glossy and pared back, reminding us of the minimalist glass nail trend.

— Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of pare

Verb

New Jersey won its second straight to improve to 6-4-0, while the Ducks dropped their fifth in a row to fall to 4-6-0.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Clouds mostly clear out over the weekend as Saturday high temperatures reach 59 in the afternoon and overnight lows drop to 37.

— Hali Smith October 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of drop

Browse Nearby Words

whits

whittle

whittled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of whittle

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes