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
Improvements in material and device design have whittled these energy costs over the years.
—
Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Hers is a family of working artists, the kind that have been slowly whittled out of the industry, and her background is more akin to Sophie’s than Benedict’s.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Hers is a family of working artists, the kind that have been slowly whittled out of the industry, and her background is more akin to Sophie’s than Benedict’s.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
-
More recently, the mayor spoke out against the county’s plan to cut $200 million in homeless services.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Local reports said Ukrainian missiles hit a power plant and an electrical substation, cutting power to parts of the city.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kaiden Guhle clipped Sean Kuraly with a high stick – this one a no-doubter – and the B’s went back on the PP.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The car reportedly veered off Iron Point Road, hit a tree at the edge of the station’s parking lot, then continued about 60 yards across the lot, clipped a parked car and crashed into the elevated train platform.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Exhibitors were also worried and had lowered their estimates to $2 million to $4 million based on sluggish ticket sales.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Feb. 2026
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The manufacturer has lowered costs on some of its 2026 offerings.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Saturday's loss dropped the Red Wolves into a 10th-place tie with Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt standings.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
On December 11th, Binance dropped its fees for certain crypto trades if they were conducted in USD1.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Berry’s pared back gray coat evoked a certain variation on quiet luxury, with its minimalist construction and versatility.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The interiors are equally pared-back, with Francesca Muzio opting for warmth and hominess over formal perfection.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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