as in cutting
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 whittling
New York was down by as much as 16 points in Game 5 before slowly whittling the Spurs’ lead away.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
The authors disagreed with that earlier assessment, concluding that the bone marks were more consistent with whittling using a sharp implement.
—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2026
Leaders have reinforced that narrative by whittling their workforces in the name of AI.
—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
In a normal year, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum and his team sift through 25,000 applications, per Backstage, whittling them down to just 18 players per season.
—
Charlotte Walsh,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have all made their excuses and left the fight for Premier League survival, whittling it down to just two potential candidates to join Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship next season.
—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
The Vegas Golden Knights, the team directly ahead of the Kings in the Pacific Division standings, have lost six of their last 10, whittling their lead to four points over the Kings in the battle for the division’s third and final postseason berth.
—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Longman, production exec Suzy Aplin and their team sifted through 1,800 audition tapes before whittling things down.
—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Since then, there have been fall 1996 Gianni Versace Couture gowns at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards and a waist-whittling custom Ashi Studio creation for the 2026 Golden Globes.
—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2026
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
The authors disagreed with that earlier assessment, concluding that the bone marks were more consistent with whittling using a sharp implement.
—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2026
Leaders have reinforced that narrative by whittling their workforces in the name of AI.
—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
In a normal year, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum and his team sift through 25,000 applications, per Backstage, whittling them down to just 18 players per season.
—
Charlotte Walsh,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have all made their excuses and left the fight for Premier League survival, whittling it down to just two potential candidates to join Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship next season.
—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
The Vegas Golden Knights, the team directly ahead of the Kings in the Pacific Division standings, have lost six of their last 10, whittling their lead to four points over the Kings in the battle for the division’s third and final postseason berth.
—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Longman, production exec Suzy Aplin and their team sifted through 1,800 audition tapes before whittling things down.
—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Since then, there have been fall 1996 Gianni Versace Couture gowns at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards and a waist-whittling custom Ashi Studio creation for the 2026 Golden Globes.
—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittling
Verb
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Jangoo and Chase batted cautiously in the first hour before cutting loose just before lunch.
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The ribbon-cutting event was a somewhat soggy affair (got to love that unpredictable Florida weather) but a happy one for Seth and the 20+ IONNA employees that made the road trip down from their corporate office in Raleigh, NC.
Verb
-
Ninety-five-year-old Warren Buffett is famous for clipping coupons and living in a modest Nebraska house, despite having $146 billion to his name.
-
Plant one clipping per vessel in a nutrient-rich soil mixture.
Verb
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Hilton, running on a platform of affordability and lowering taxes, has seized on the sentiment, casting health coverage for immigrants without legal status as deeply unfair and a direct threat to the state’s ability to help citizens.
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But despite more than 50 years of data showing the cholesterol-lowering medications are safe, many people are still hesitant to take statins, fearing side effects.
Cite this Entry
“Whittling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittling. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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