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.

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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 This man is whittling a star for the tree and standing up for eldest daughters everywhere? — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 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 The market is trying to recover, but elite collectors seemingly want only trophy works; raging global conflicts, economic uncertainty, and political turmoil have whittled demand down to the safest names. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 Next, your votes whittled the field of contenders to the Top 10 picks, then down to the Top 5 and Top 2. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for whittle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle

Verb

Lopez tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Hernandez to cut Miami’s lead to 11 points.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
The decline raises the prospect of an interest rate cut by the central bank at next week’s monetary policy committee meeting, the penultimate one for this year.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

Brands, including sports leagues, understand that content clipping is both a marketing strategy and a way to engage with new and established audiences.

— Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Murphy is engaging enough to keep things clipping right along (and Emma is a heroine very easy to root for), but things are at their very best when Emma and Luke are giving into their big feelings.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of clip

Verb

He was brought to the prison infirmary, where numerous guards surrounded, punched, kicked, choked, dropped and manhandled him.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026
The Cubs, whose magic number to clinch a playoff berth dropped to three with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ loss later Friday, have eight games remaining to try to build some momentum for the playoffs.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of drop

Browse Nearby Words

whits

whittle

whittled

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“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of whittle

verb

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