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 moment came in the 73rd minute with a goal from Mauricio to cut the US advantage to 3-1.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Simpson robbed Adell of a homer in the eighth to keep the Rays within two, and Aranda cut it to 4-3 with a two-out single off Farris before Zeferjahn finished.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Citizen concerns over chemical exposure have temporarily clipped the wings of Munster’s mosquito-spraying regimen.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
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Win or lose, the plays will be clipped incessantly, jammed into highlight reels or viral tweets, and B-roll of fans flooding the streets past subway stops adorned in Knicks colors and Timberlands will be plastered all over a thousand documentaries.—
Kyle Wagner,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The retirement age was first set at 70, then lowered to 65, chosen so that the first national pension system could offer generous benefits and cost the state virtually nothing.—
Jon Sabes,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
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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
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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Prices later pared gains after Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNBC that military operations against Israel have ended.—
Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
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Treasuries pared declines, pulling two-year yields back from a more than 15-month high, as reports of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran eased the upward pressure on oil prices.—
Ruth Carson,
Bloomberg,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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