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
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
Cocurators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer drew up a list of well over 400 creatives, made studio visits to upwards of 300, and whittled the tally down to 56 individuals, duos, and collectives.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2026
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
Cocurators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer drew up a list of well over 400 creatives, made studio visits to upwards of 300, and whittled the tally down to 56 individuals, duos, and collectives.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
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The shortstop also rocketed a 441-foot, two-run home run off Giants right-hander Keaton Winn in the eighth to cut San Francisco’s lead to 4-3.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
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Based on 2026 opening day figures, eight teams would have to cut payroll to get under the cap.—
Ronald Blum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The outstanding Adam Wharton clipped a glorious pass into the penalty area, but an unmarked Tyrick Mitchell mistimed his header and could only direct the ball wide from close range.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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The eye-catching details were clipped on both sides of her space buns, while a third of her hair was pulled into a low ponytail.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Lululemon Athletica — Shares sank 9% after the athleisure company lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance , citing headwinds.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
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The measure would have lowered the standard for coverage to a preponderance of evidence that the firefighter became sick due to their work rather than the higher standard of clear and convincing evidence.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Investigation traced equipment to officer's home According to the criminal complaint, the journalist suffered an injury while working at the protest and dropped a camera bag containing cameras and other equipment valued at roughly $10,000.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
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Thin ties dropped from the neckline of the bohemian-leaning silhouette, giving the dress a slightly undone finish against the high-shine black heels.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
6 June 2026
Verb
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It’s liberally dotted with the designer’s personal collection of art and antiques, but still manages to feel pared-back—as if a Scandinavian fairy came down and waved all the potential clutter away.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The major stock market averages initially popped but quickly pared those gains.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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