as in cut
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.
Related Words
Relevance
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 whittled
The European Union, once a top Kremlin customer, has banned all seaborne imports of Russian crude oil, and whittled Moscow’s share of its natural gas imports delivered via pipeline to about 11% last year, from more than 40% in 2021.
—
Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
After ten weeks and 550 matches, the sixteen teams of the Premier League of MLP have been whittled to ten, the six Challenger teams are in Southern California, and the playoff schedules are out.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
After ten weeks and 550 matches, the sixteen teams of the Premier League of MLP have been whittled to ten, the six Challenger teams are in Southern California, and the playoff schedules are out.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
-
Others have cut bills by a factor of five.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Jobless claims hit their highest level since 2021 last week, adding to recent labor market revisions that have fueled confidence the Fed will cut rates in September.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The video quickly clipped to the white sedan engulfed in flames.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
In contrast, other states with stricter regimes may have their wings clipped.—
Owen Tedford,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
How the reactors will work Deep Fission’s technology centers on small cylindrical reactors that can be lowered into 30-inch diameter boreholes drilled a mile into the Earth.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi lowered its price target to $200 per share from $210.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That dropped to just two teens in that age group in 2024.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
-
And so this was a gift that dropped into my lap.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Utilities are reduced in phases, while security is often heightened and maintenance pared down to essentials.—
Kristin Mueller,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
To make that possible, models are often pared down to conserve energy and processing power.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share