whittle (down)

verb

Definition of whittle (down)next
as in to cut down

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle (down)
  1. cut down
  2. cut back
  3. turn down
Verb
  • If the war does indeed come to an end and oil keeps falling, Warsh might get breathing room for rate cuts down the line.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 June 2026
  • Courtesy of the Abu Haikal family Haikal said his family’s own homes have been targeted in settler attacks, including having stones thrown at their home, their crops destroyed, trees cut down and property stolen.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Definition of cut down
Verb
  • Beef sales fell in the 13 weeks leading up to mid-July, with consumers cutting back on eating out or opting for cheaper proteins, Bloomberg reported.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Schmidt said cutting back agricultural water use is not going to be easy.
    — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of cut back
Verb
  • The 6ft 3in (191cm) goalkeeper, who turns 24 this month, had turned down interest from Manchester United to join the Belgian Pro League side, but his age was always going to give more experienced players pause for thought.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The cynical reality is that Republicans don’t even need to turn down tech company donations to campaign on their newly pragmatic identities.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn down
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.

Browse Nearby Words

whittled (down)
whittle (down)
whittles
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Cite this Entry

“Whittle (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle%20%28down%29. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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