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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To release a budget that increases money only for the military and then cuts domestic programs is not a great pitch.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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This cuts across every possible category of our collective aspirations for a better Chicago.—
Gia Biagi,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Joe Rodon clips a pass over the top of the Brentford defence for Calvert-Lewin to contest.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Compared to dual enrollment where the student and their families are likely responsible for covering part of the costs, concurrent enrollment lowers the cost of college education and prepares students for post-secondary opportunities.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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This program lowers that barrier without placing new demands on Connecticut’s treasury.—
Christopher P. DeSanctis,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 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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Often, though, the band drops the hauteur to reveal a surprising kind of kookiness.—
Jesse Dorris,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
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For the poor guy who drops a rod into one, this is bad news because if the flows are up, nothing falls straight down.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Advertisement The court's decision not only curtails a policy Trump has repeatedly credited with strengthening American leverage abroad, but also carries major financial and legal consequences.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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Think of this as the pessimistic, narrower option, where the greenhouse effect curtails the zone's inner edge and the loss of carbon dioxide from a planetary atmosphere marks its outer edge.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Your jaw tightens, your heart races, your breathing shortens.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
25 Mar. 2026
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The change significantly shortens the timeframe for filing claims — meaning passengers must act quickly after arriving at their destination.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By banning advertising by legal operators during live sporting events and sharply limiting promotions, the proposal drastically reduces the visibility of the regulated market.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Technologies such as Revo-Su, which significantly reduces water consumption, and B210, which enables biodegradability in stretch fabrics, are direct outcomes of this focus.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittles. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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