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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of whittled
Further investigation with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) whittled these galaxies down to 70 faint dusty galaxy candidates on the very edge of the cosmos, the majority of which had never been seen before.
—
Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2026
After weighing 22 criteria ranging from impacts upon water pollution, noise and air quality to opportunities for economic growth, MnDOT has whittled 10 potential project approaches down to three options.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
Writers nominated restaurants from across the country, and a team of editors with discriminating taste whittled them down to 39.
—Liz Johnson, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
After that, the competition is whittled from 10 teams to the top five, with those five also performing their free dance later in the day.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
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
Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2026
After weighing 22 criteria ranging from impacts upon water pollution, noise and air quality to opportunities for economic growth, MnDOT has whittled 10 potential project approaches down to three options.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
Writers nominated restaurants from across the country, and a team of editors with discriminating taste whittled them down to 39.
—Liz Johnson, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
After that, the competition is whittled from 10 teams to the top five, with those five also performing their free dance later in the day.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
-
Sam Bennett scored with 35 seconds left to cut the deficit back to one but Florida could get no closer.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
-
That deal, which required Iran to limit its nuclear program by, among other things, cutting enrichment levels and reducing centrifuges, took effect in 2016 and was due to expire 10 years after it was adopted.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the car clipped the corner of one house, crossed the street and crashed into a second home.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Shiffrin was in the back of the start house when Duerr, skiing next to last on the second run, clipped the very first gate and crashed out.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After entering the inner perimeter, Bradshaw said the man lowered the gas can and raised his shotgun before being shot by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The amount of public funds involved could eventually be lowered, factoring in insurance compensation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In eighth grade, she got dropped on her hip at a tourney in Bennett.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The Pixel 10a uses Corning Gorilla Glass 7i to protect the screen, which resists breakage when dropped up to 1 meter on asphalt.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Over the past year, Kennedy dramatically reshaped a key US advisory panel to incorporate vaccine skeptics, then later oversaw changes to the national immunization schedule that pared back the number of shots recommended for America’s children.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard Peter Sarsgaard pared back his black and white suit, while his wife, filmmaker and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, wore a look from McQueen’s pre-fall 2015 collection.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
