as in cuts
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 whittles
Typically, Cameron whittles his selections for each part down to five or six actors based on recommendations and audition tapes, and not only meets with them but tries to create some of the circumstances that will be replicated on set.
—
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittles
Verb
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If the Fed cuts its short-term rate too aggressively and is seen as doing so for political reasons, then Wall Street investors could sell Treasury bonds out of fear that inflation would rise.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
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The move effectively cuts the island off from key fuel sources and, according to community members, could worsen an already fragile humanitarian situation.—
Marybel Rodriguez,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The holder clips right to your pack or waders and keeps everything in a neat, easy-to-dispense stack.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
23 Dec. 2025
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The carry handles each have a magnetic piece that then clips together to form a single bar to grasp.—
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Training your back and other opposing muscle groups alongside your pecs helps maintain alignment, improves posture, lowers injury risk and can make your chest look stronger and be more defined.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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The result is a faster, greener process that significantly lowers energy and solvent consumption while delivering high yields and exceptional purity, making large-scale Duzhong rubber production more practical and sustainable.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Marvel Avengers Expansion Impressions The biggest strength of the Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game expansions continues to be succinct writing that pares down decades of comic book history into a short but informative chapter.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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This is a sweet, redemptive film that pares back some of the more extreme dramatic elements of Perry’s earlier work to tell a straightforward, second-chance-at-love story.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Citrus can be damaged when the temperature drops below 27 degrees for more than four hours.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
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Also, as the temperature drops, so does your tire’s pressure.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Postal Service™ curtails delivery only after careful consideration, and only as a last resort.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Jan. 2026
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The connection of these celestial entities brightens our drive, but curtails our intuition.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That design choice lowers costs and shortens deployment time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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Not only do the chinstraps and Adelies have more competition for food from gentoos because of the warming and changes in plankton and krill, but the changes have brought more commercial fishing that comes earlier and that further shortens the supply for the penguins, Suttle said.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to the company, this reduces inventory burdens, streamlines logistics, and shortens installation timelines.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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This greatly reduces environmental concerns related to legacy waste.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittles. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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