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
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Johnson’s team will then interview the applicants to whittle them down to a group of finalists by early July, according to the city report.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2025
The issue became a flashpoint for the Justice Department in March, when Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer refused to add Gibson to a pilot program that had whittled a list of 95 non-violent offenders down to nine who had passed rigorous FBI background checks.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 1 May 2025
As was later revealed by the hosts, the voters had a really hard time whittling 10 semifinalists to five finalists (out of 17 contestants).
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
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Verb
The Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations was succinct in summing up the state of the club’s pitching, which has once again been whittled by injuries.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Johnson’s team will then interview the applicants to whittle them down to a group of finalists by early July, according to the city report.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2025
The issue became a flashpoint for the Justice Department in March, when Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer refused to add Gibson to a pilot program that had whittled a list of 95 non-violent offenders down to nine who had passed rigorous FBI background checks.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 1 May 2025
As was later revealed by the hosts, the voters had a really hard time whittling 10 semifinalists to five finalists (out of 17 contestants).
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whittle
Cite this Entry
“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whittle. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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