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.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled
Verb
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Both headphones are astonishingly quiet, virtually eliminating lower drone sounds, cutting higher frequency noises like key clicks, and even erasing piercing sounds like dogs barking with a bit of music.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
9 July 2025 -
To pay for these initiatives, the law cuts Medicaid and food stamps — programs relied upon by poor households with children — by more than $1 trillion.—
MORIAH BALINGIT,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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The net simply gets clipped onto the detector as needed.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
30 Dec. 2024
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The car moved across multiple lanes, clipped another vehicle, struck the outer retention wall then careened back across all lanes of traffic.—
Hope Karnopp,
Journal Sentinel,
15 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Piper Sandler lowered its price target on Lowe’s and Home Depot to account for pressures on big-ticket spending and tariffs.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2025
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Citigroup lowered its price targets across the banking sector, including Club names Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo .—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The stock rebounded Friday, but pared gains during the afternoon.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
17 Mar. 2025
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The design is fairly minimalist, with only a few pine sprigs, a furry blanket, and faux tea lights to create some ambiance; the wet room-style bathrooms are similarly pared-back.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Whittled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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