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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittling
Verb
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And the itemizing of it, breaking it up, short form, the clipping it out.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
18 Dec. 2024 -
In Don’t Look Back, Bob is reading in a newspaper clipping about himself.—
Seth Abramovitch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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These photovoltaic panels are designed to generate renewable energy on-site, significantly reducing the building’s environmental impact while also lowering its operational costs.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
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New Mexico policymakers can improve the state’s economy by lowering tax rates and reducing barriers to work.—
Adam A. Millsap,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Whittling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittling. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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