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
By Thursday afternoon, Democrats had whittled their list of amendments down to 15, according to a Senate source familiar with the state of play.
—
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2025
More rules are set to be whittled further, such as the waste framework directive, which could see the repeal of the only database that contains information on chemicals of concern used in Europe.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
Ukrainian officials met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and whittled the plan down.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The Horned Frogs saw a double-digit-point lead whittled to just four by intermission, thanks to the 3-point shooting of John Blackwell — who scored 30 points on Friday — and savvy playmaking by former San Diego State guard Nick Boyd.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2025
My leg muscles wasted and my arms seemed whittled into bone.
—Tatiana Schlossberg, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
According to the announcement, TDE Films whittled the pool of applicants to 25 finalists before identifying the five recipients whose work demonstrated distinct narrative voices, emotionally resonant characters and culturally meaningful perspectives.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
Miami had been favored by 13 1/2 points but that whittled to 10 1/2 by kickoff, perhaps foretelling the close game as late gambling money flooded to the Cardinals.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
The new departures, which have already been challenged in court, whittled the Education Department's staff by nearly a fifth, based on its most recent headcount estimates of full- and part-time employees.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2025
More rules are set to be whittled further, such as the waste framework directive, which could see the repeal of the only database that contains information on chemicals of concern used in Europe.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
Ukrainian officials met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and whittled the plan down.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The Horned Frogs saw a double-digit-point lead whittled to just four by intermission, thanks to the 3-point shooting of John Blackwell — who scored 30 points on Friday — and savvy playmaking by former San Diego State guard Nick Boyd.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2025
My leg muscles wasted and my arms seemed whittled into bone.
—Tatiana Schlossberg, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
According to the announcement, TDE Films whittled the pool of applicants to 25 finalists before identifying the five recipients whose work demonstrated distinct narrative voices, emotionally resonant characters and culturally meaningful perspectives.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
Miami had been favored by 13 1/2 points but that whittled to 10 1/2 by kickoff, perhaps foretelling the close game as late gambling money flooded to the Cardinals.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
The new departures, which have already been challenged in court, whittled the Education Department's staff by nearly a fifth, based on its most recent headcount estimates of full- and part-time employees.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
-
An emergency order by the FAA on Thursday said airlines have to cut traffic by 4%, resulting in about 800 flight cancellations for Friday that increased to over 1,000 throughout the day, according to FlightAware.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Southwest Airlines cut about 120 flights Friday.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Once Jeopardy's John Pork question was clipped for TikTok, users on the platform argued that the clue wasn't completely accurate, as John Pork appeared on social media as early as 2018, before generative AI was widely accessible.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Gausman allowed a solo home run to Dodgers catcher Will Smith, and two batters later, he got clipped by third baseman Max Muncy.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In addition, strong winds over desert areas could result in briefly lowered visibilities to well under a mile at times in blowing dust or blowing sand.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
As the incoming tide approached, two firefighters were quickly lowered into the frigid waters.—
Christine Sloan,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At Goldman Sachs’ annual At the Helm event, the bank’s affluent clients dropped and did pushups for a Navy SEAL, unfurled their relationship with wealth guru Sahil Bloom, and strategized legacy with Mindy Kaling.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The loss dropped the Jayhawks to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dan Rogers, vp and executive producer at the Opry, tells Billboard how the 20 album choices were pared down from the Opry 100 greatest songs list.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Her wavy, dark brunette hair was styled in a side part, while Queen Letizia’s makeup was pared back.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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