as in to 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 whittle
City were 13 points ahead at one stage in January, but Liverpool (who had games in hand) whittled that down and nearly won it on the final day.
—
Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
But that list is whittled from the 2,600 nominations made by the public this year for recordings to be considered.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Though his average has slumped to .219 this season, and he’s hit only four homers in 41 games, Doyle has whittled his strikeout percentage to 23.5.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
This left Roosevelt struggling to whittle the distance between the two sides, reducing the Japanese demands for money and the Russian designs on all of Sakhalin.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
But that list is whittled from the 2,600 nominations made by the public this year for recordings to be considered.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Though his average has slumped to .219 this season, and he’s hit only four homers in 41 games, Doyle has whittled his strikeout percentage to 23.5.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
This left Roosevelt struggling to whittle the distance between the two sides, reducing the Japanese demands for money and the Russian designs on all of Sakhalin.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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But after Russia’s defeat at the hands of the British in the costly 1854-56 Crimean War, Tsar Nicholas II decided to cut his losses and relinquish the difficult-to-defend Alaska.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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An ability to get the products overland from Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, will cut weeks and substantial costs out of that supply chain.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some of them clip on to an existing vent or use a suction cup mount to stay in place.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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The dog wears a special harness that allows unfettered movement, which is clipped to a bungee line attached to the human’s running waist belt.—
Ula Chrobak,
Outside,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Diageo shares have pared gains, last trading around 3% higher as investors digest the drinks maker's earnings report.—
Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
5 Aug. 2025
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Voters will rank candidates in order of preference, and there will be no political primary to pare the field.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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New episodes drop Saturdays and Sundays following the Sept. 6 premiere.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Aug. 2025
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General Hospital has another major plot twist to drop on its fans: the ABC sudser is bringing back Ryan Paevey.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Straus was increasingly miserable in Los Angeles, navigating the breakdown of a four-year relationship and struggling to curtail her substance use.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
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Her bills are joined by a third bill, filed jointly by a Wisconsin representative and a Wyoming senator days previously, seeking to curtail the power of the organization through a lengthy list of restrictions.—
Amber Roberson,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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