as in 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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Recent Examples of whittled
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
While previous seasons of South Park have comprised between 10 to 15 episodes, and sometimes more, in recent years, Parker and Stone have whittled the number down to about five or six.
—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2026
After much discussion, the council whittled that list down to three options before asking staffers to conduct more research before the council decides whether to put those choices to voters.
—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
But the 30 or so deaths earlier this year due to bird flu has whittled the number of swans down to about 44, a city official said.
—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
His work as an accountant had spared him the sun marks and whittled skin that Mother carried.
—
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Dayton whittled the deficit to 10 early in the second half, but Belle buried a 3-pointer and Hill hit a pull-up jumper for a 48-33 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
—
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
The Tigers whittled one of those UK leads down to five points with just over 10 minutes left.
—
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
On fourth-and-3 from the Washington 8 in the third quarter, rather than take a field goal that would’ve whittled Washington’s lead to 29-21.
—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
While previous seasons of South Park have comprised between 10 to 15 episodes, and sometimes more, in recent years, Parker and Stone have whittled the number down to about five or six.
—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2026
After much discussion, the council whittled that list down to three options before asking staffers to conduct more research before the council decides whether to put those choices to voters.
—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
But the 30 or so deaths earlier this year due to bird flu has whittled the number of swans down to about 44, a city official said.
—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
His work as an accountant had spared him the sun marks and whittled skin that Mother carried.
—
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Dayton whittled the deficit to 10 early in the second half, but Belle buried a 3-pointer and Hill hit a pull-up jumper for a 48-33 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
—
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
The Tigers whittled one of those UK leads down to five points with just over 10 minutes left.
—
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
On fourth-and-3 from the Washington 8 in the third quarter, rather than take a field goal that would’ve whittled Washington’s lead to 29-21.
—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
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Kirkmeyer has campaigned on affordability and safety issues, Bottoms is pushing for a redo of the state's education system among other things and Marx wants to cut regulations and lower the cost of living.
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Terrell Carstens, a 25-year resident of Brookhaven, said she is frustrated the city made little effort to find places to cut costs instead of raising the rate.
Verb
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The material itself is soft, breathable, and machine washable for easy cleaning, and the pillow rolls up into a convenient carrying pouch that can be clipped onto your personal item for easy access.
-
Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball.
Verb
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Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have resulted in reports of human rights abuses.
-
Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.
Verb
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Another ten minutes on the train over to the terminal – yes, the terminal our flight dropped us at originally.
-
Tom Kim dropped two shots at the wrong time and shot 72.
Verb
-
Of course, when an outfit is pared back, accessories are even more important.
-
Whether the night is elaborate or pared down, Stewart’s central rule has not budged.
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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