Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittling (down)
Verb
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Johnson, who’s cutting back his college basketball work, will host the Final Four.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026 -
Consider cutting back stems that cross or rub against one another.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When asked about the best techniques for defusing tense encounters while still maintaining the right to protect, civil rights advocates in Connecticut are generally recommending online training in turning down the heat on face-to-face encounters with ICE agents or counter-protestors.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
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Torquing and turning down a mountain at 85 miles per hour without an ACL – its sole anatomical purpose is to connect the femur to the tibia and protect the bones from shifting – is, at best, not recommended and, at worst, slightly reckless.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Huskies drained five 3-pointers in the third after hitting just four in the first half with Ziebell knocking down a pair in the final two minutes of the quarter.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
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On Friday evening, a black pickup truck crashed into the Brisbane Synagogue, knocking down its gates, before being driven away, Queensland Police said.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Whittling (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittling%20%28down%29. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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