whittled (down)

verb

past tense of whittle (down)
as in cut down

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled (down)
  1. cut down
  2. cut back
  3. turned down
  4. knocked down
Verb
  • If the war does indeed come to an end and oil keeps falling, Warsh might get breathing room for rate cuts down the line.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 June 2026
  • Courtesy of the Abu Haikal family Haikal said his family’s own homes have been targeted in settler attacks, including having stones thrown at their home, their crops destroyed, trees cut down and property stolen.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Definition of cut down
Verb
  • The latest cash injection from Aramco will help fuel investment plans at a time when many of the PIF’s ambitions are being cut back, there’s a greater focus on getting funding from other investors, and returns are falling.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Texas and other states have cut back on the number and location of polling places, especially in areas favoring Democrats.
    — Jen Fifield, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of cut back
Verb
  • Residents turned down an advisory referendum asking if fruit trees should be banned as part of the village’s ongoing rodent abatement program.
    — Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026
  • How Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, at the precipice of becoming generational voices themselves, turned down his invitation to join the madness.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of turned down
Verb
  • Premium models are knocked down to midrange prices, and midrange models hit the bargain bin.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In the decision penned by Judge Carolyn McHugh, the three-judge panel knocked down the plaintiff argument that all Division I players, regardless of sport, formed a single market.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of knocked down
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.

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whittled (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Whittled (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled%20%28down%29. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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