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whittling (down)

verb

Definition of whittling (down)next
present participle of whittle (down)
as in cutting down

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittling (down)
  1. cutting back
  2. turning down
  3. knocking down
Verb
  • The Italian company has seen its US business grow consecutively for the past five years by heavily promoting Aperol and Campari, popularizing the spritz to Americans cutting back on drinking as a lighter alternative to booze-heavy cocktails.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • This is somewhat detrimental to the development of Karen, since cutting back and forth interrupts the flow of her epistolary relationship with Wilson, whose stories morph into intimate letters.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of cutting back
Verb
  • But for a sport the size of fencing, turning down attention is an unaffordable luxury.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Closing the curtains tightly before bed and turning down the thermostat also help.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning down
Verb
  • Schiano ended up knocking down the field marker in his tantrum.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Charlotte history of knocking down old buildings Digital Realty is far from the first developer to tear down a historic site.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of knocking down
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.

Browse Nearby Words

whittling
whittling (down)
whiz
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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 30 Sep. 2026.

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