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 back
  2. turned down
  3. knocked down
Verb
  • An April survey of 300 GLP-1 users by the equity research firm William Blair found that 72% were specifically cutting back on hamburgers.
    — Hallie Jackson, NBC news, 19 July 2026
  • The ball is cut back to the Lazio man, who meets it first time with a right-foot shot into the bottom corner.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of cut back
Verb
  • Unlike calling it from another phone, the find feature rings loud and clear, even if the ringer is turned down or the phone is in silent mode.
    — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • Also a strong student at the school, Harmon turned down pro football offers to pursue acting.
    — Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of turned down
Verb
  • With 15 minutes to go, a German corner is knocked down for Rummenigge to poke home from four yards and give them hope.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Toure was knocked down briefly after his play and had to be held back by team personnel from joining in on the celebration after Fitzgerald’s interception.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 July 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 22 Jul. 2026.

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