WHITTLING Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

whittling

verb

Definition of whittling

present participle of whittle

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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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of whittling This man is whittling a star for the tree and standing up for eldest daughters everywhere? — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittling

Verb

The vibes at Wrigley should be stellar this weekend as the Champions Gate at Gallagher Way will be unveiled before Saturday’s game with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Rather than report on every float in this parade of horribles, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed and hirsute higher education observer Bryan Alexander have started cost-cutting trackers.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of cutting

Verb

Launched by General Mills in 1996, it was built to invite parents to turn ordinary grocery purchases into support for their child's school, originally by clipping box tops, now by scanning receipts in an app.

— Karl Mawhinney, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
He was arrested crossing the border from Mexico into Texas in September 1981, according to a news clipping from the Chicago Tribune.

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 16 July 2026

Definition of clipping

Verb

Researchers believe that the healthy fats and antioxidants in olive oil may reduce the risk of diabetes by lowering cholesterol and blood lipid levels and increasing insulin sensitivity.

— Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 21 July 2026
Recently, some directors have discussed using reserve funds to offset the operating budget and lowering our funded reserve level.

— Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026