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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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

North Carolina Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives cut all ties with one of their candidates running for the state legislature after her past social media posts about violence against Republicans came to light.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026
Krohn put in new sprinklers and fire-safety systems after his last renters moved out a few years ago, then cut a hole between the second and third floors, allowing more light and air to filter through what is now a unified owner’s duplex.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

Isolating Suzuki’s line-breaking passes demonstrates a tendency to clip the ball out towards the left wing.

— Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
His short-form video content and public appearances produced a plethora of footage that could easily be clipped, repurposed and remixed, into preexisting memes and trending audios.

— Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of clip

Verb

Oil prices pared some gains midday before resuming their climb in the afternoon.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
Four finalists will be pared to one or two winning teams and will be recognized during the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in October in Bangkok.

— Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of pare

Verb

Doves love to concentrate on a power line and then drop into a field.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Even those inside Newcastle United were questioning the commitment and focus of some of their star players last season, when a staggering 27 points were dropped from winning positions.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of drop

Verb

The tight end’s knee injury last year curtailed his second season and the Raiders’ offense overall.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Ukraine's recent attacks on Russian oil refineries have taken many diesel refineries offline; consequently, Russia has curtailed its own diesel exports, and has even started importing fuel from countries like India, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

— Willa Rubin, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of curtail

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 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of whittle

verb

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