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 Yankees won, 9-6, to whittle Toronto’s series lead to 2-1.
—
Chris Branch, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Mann eventually whittled it down to $170 million.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Schools must follow state mandates on instructional hours, but states typically don’t set strict rules on how long a lunch period should be, so some principals whittle it down to twenty or twenty-five minutes.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
The holders are one of 36 teams in the league phase, which kicks off on Tuesday and which, like last season, will consist of a mammoth 189 matches to whittle the field down to 24 by the end of January.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Chris Branch, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Mann eventually whittled it down to $170 million.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Schools must follow state mandates on instructional hours, but states typically don’t set strict rules on how long a lunch period should be, so some principals whittle it down to twenty or twenty-five minutes.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
The holders are one of 36 teams in the league phase, which kicks off on Tuesday and which, like last season, will consist of a mammoth 189 matches to whittle the field down to 24 by the end of January.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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The veteran coach believes the solution to the problem is to cut some games off the 82-game schedule, a view shared by Cleveland Cavaliers coach (and former Kerr assistant) Kenny Atkinson, who recently advocated for a 72-game season.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The 10-year Treasury yield was little changed Friday following this week’s interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve and the central bank’s more hawkish tone on future policy.—
Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gausman allowed a solo home run to Dodgers catcher Will Smith, and two batters later, he got clipped by third baseman Max Muncy.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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There’s no need to clip in while riding technical terrain with a flat shoe that performs this well.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Take their recent turn on the Academy Museum Gala red carpet; Bieber opted for a sculptural corset dress by Schiaparelli, while Kendall went pared back in a black dress by The Row.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
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Automakers Hyundai and Kia saw gains of around 12% and 9% respectively, before paring gains.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nordstrom dropped their holiday gift guide, which includes a Rebecca Minkoff purse and Land’s End loafers — both on sale now.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Lee’s content has shown her love for the collaborative relationship between Simone Rocha and Crocs; the brands dropped their spring 2026 collection this month.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Filibusters became more frequent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, prompting debates about potentially changing Senate rules to curtail the practice.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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Trafficking experts also say strikes on individual boats would do little to curtail mass distribution.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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