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 The group stage of the tournament (June 11-27) will whittle the field from 48 to 32 teams. — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 First two of 104 matches are this coming Thursday as 12 four-team groups begin the whittling process from 48 nations to a round-of-32. — Greg Cote june 7, Miami Herald, 7 June 2026 Leaders have reinforced that narrative by whittling their workforces in the name of AI. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 1 June 2026 Specifically, retinol smooths fine lines, lessens wrinkle depth, and whittles the appearance of large pores. — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for whittle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle

Verb

But hotels in Miami or Fort Lauderdale aren’t as desperate now to cut them.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
Clean larger produce, like melons, with a brush and cut away any bruised or damaged portions.

— Alex Nettles, AJC.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

Walk the rows, clip your favorites and take home a custom bouquet.

— Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Teams can clip plays and submit them for review, but multiple sources told The Athletic that the system suffers from delays and produces little noticeable improvement from game to game.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of clip

Verb

The firm portfolio exposure to China has been pared down in recent years, from 24% in 2016 to 2026′s figure of 17%.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Room décor varies, but many have a Tara Plantation-meets-Montepulciano thing going on, occasionally excessive but mostly pared back—think overstuffed chairs, frilly, floral curtains, exposed wood beam ceilings, and slim wooden furniture.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2026

Definition of pare

Verb

The ruling is the latest instance of judges taking deliberate steps to curtail what some see as an abuse of prosecutorial power on the part of the administration.

— Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Those networks make operations more resilient while restoring some of the reach lost when Starlink access was curtailed.

— David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 7 July 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 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of whittle

verb

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