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
After whittling his options down to two final contestants, Juliana Pasquarosa and Litia Garr, the day trader chose one in Monday's episode.
—
Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
DeWine, also a Republican, whittled out several provisions lawmakers have said would reduce property tax burdens across the state.
—J.d. Davidson, The Washington Examiner, 2 July 2025
Penetration of the once-ubiquitous service has been whittled to 36% of all U.S. TV households, down from a high of 91%.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
There’s nothing quite like setting up a board with pieces and whittling the day away in your own world.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
DeWine, also a Republican, whittled out several provisions lawmakers have said would reduce property tax burdens across the state.
—J.d. Davidson, The Washington Examiner, 2 July 2025
Penetration of the once-ubiquitous service has been whittled to 36% of all U.S. TV households, down from a high of 91%.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
There’s nothing quite like setting up a board with pieces and whittling the day away in your own world.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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Others have cut bills by a factor of five.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Jobless claims hit their highest level since 2021 last week, adding to recent labor market revisions that have fueled confidence the Fed will cut rates in September.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Fixed a bug where allied player characters could clip through tombstones when Totem Stella was used.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Novo shares climbed over 4% in morning trade, paring earlier losses.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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That's why many urban cyclists pare such drivetrains down.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The video, released Thursday night, showed a person running across a rooftop of the building from which the fatal round was fired before climbing down and dropping to the ground.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The researchers found that shelter canines were more active at night and showed higher stress hormone levels shortly after intake, but their activity and stress levels dropped over time—especially after adoption.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Increasingly, the result is that personal responsibility has been curtailed, especially in government.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Carlsbad was the first city in the region to pass local laws to curtail reckless riding and address other unsafe use of e-bikes, officials said.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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