whit·tle
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl 
whittled; whittling
ˈ(h)wi-tᵊl-iŋ
ˈ(h)wit-liŋ
1
a
: to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife
b
: to shape or form by so paring or cutting
2
: to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife : pare
whittle down expenses
1
: to cut or shape something (such as wood) by or as if by paring it with a knife
2
: to wear oneself or another out with fretting
archaic
: a large knife
Examples of whittle in a Sentence
Verb
He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
She whittled a walking stick from a maple tree branch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
The shortlists will be whittled to a list of 10 nominees each for features and shorts, with that announcement expected on November 19.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Hundreds of painful layoffs and early retirements over the past school year whittled the deficit to $3 million.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2024
In its 14th round of disposals, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. eclipsed $10 billion of total proceeds from whittling its stake in the second-largest US bank, a regulatory filing on Monday shows.
—Katherine Doherty, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle 
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Verb
But the two-day sell-off has whittled the value of that stake to about $4 billion, based on Thursday's closing price.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
The shortlists will be whittled to a list of 10 nominees each for features and shorts, with that announcement expected on November 19.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Hundreds of painful layoffs and early retirements over the past school year whittled the deficit to $3 million.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2024
In its 14th round of disposals, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. eclipsed $10 billion of total proceeds from whittling its stake in the second-largest US bank, a regulatory filing on Monday shows.
—Katherine Doherty, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whittle
Dictionary Entries Near whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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