as in to 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.
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Recent Examples of whittle
By the end of December, the PEO staff had whittled the list down to 13 companies.
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Tom Davenport, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Fans voting will whittle the list to 10 beginning next week, with winners in that and all categories to be announced at an awards ceremony January 9 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for whittle 
Tom Davenport, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Fans voting will whittle the list to 10 beginning next week, with winners in that and all categories to be announced at an awards ceremony January 9 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for whittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle
Verb
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Nordstrom announced plans last year to shutter its Canadian operations, closing all stores in the country and cutting 2,500 jobs.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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This included cutting the corporate tax rate and increasing standard deductions for individuals and couples, many of whom previously would have itemized instead of taking the standard deduction.The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Incoming Falling Back Under North Korean Assault, A Ukrainian Brigade Turned A River Into A Natural Barrier FBI Warns Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail Users—Check 3 Things To Stop Attacks Fallacy #3: The owner can just clip coupons.Joshua Stein, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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The next storm will clip far northwest Washington on Thursday night, with the third atmospheric river hitting the West Coast from the San Francisco Bay area northward through Washington on Sunday night into Monday.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Last year, the choices were pared down to five options.Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2024
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Their looks are perfect examples of ways to let a zebra print piece shine while keeping the rest of the outfit pared back.Rosana Lai, Glamour, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In Latin America, productions continue to drop with regularity, with Prime Video drama Cometierra and Netflix’s Las Maldiciones both coming from the prolific Oficina Burman.Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2024
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The talent agency William Morris Endeavor dropped Baldoni as a client after Lively’s filing, Ari Emanuel, chief executive of the agency’s parent company, Endeavor, told the Times.Doha Madani, NBC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Chief among those lessons was another early Karl-Anthony Towns bout with foul trouble, who must find a way to curtail this bad habit to stay on the floor and give the Knicks the best chance to win a ball game.Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Dec. 2024
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Understanding why is crucial to developing a proper strategy to curtail Russia’s pursuit of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.Luke Widenhouse, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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