as in cutting
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 whittling
Kyiv and its European allies hastily amended that plan, whittling it down to 19 proposals, with Ukrainian officials travelling to Florida last weekend for more talks on the proposals.
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Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
Born in 1970 in Herber City, Utah, Allen is largely self-taught, having begun his artistic career by whittling figures and selling them from atop an ironing board on the streets of SoHo in New York.
—News Desk, Artforum, 24 Nov. 2025
Still, Kansas never slowed, whittling Duke’s margin to five on three consecutive possessions midway through the second half… only for Scheyer’s squad to respond each time.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Here, artisans guide visitors through the basics of whittling and woodturning workshops, teaching you about the tools and techniques of one of the oldest forms of art.
—Essence, 20 Oct. 2025
Beauty was whittling myself down with anorexia and the gasps of college friends at the beauty of my bones through my skin.
—Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittling
Verb
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The president argued that inflation was already low enough to start cutting rates.—
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Trump has repeatedly blasted Powell for the Fed not cutting interest rates as much and as quickly as the president has demanded since entering the White House in January 2025.—
Verb
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Consumers' Checkbook recommends shopping specials by signing up for free loyalty programs and clipping digital coupons.—
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On straight paths, tracking is solid, but switchbacks and dense forests increase the risk of losing sight of the subject—or clipping a tree.—
Verb
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That dissatisfaction persists despite constitutional amendments approved by lawmakers and voters aimed at lowering school property taxes.—
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Anyone with diabetes or taking glucose-lowering medications should consult a healthcare provider before adding magnesium, berberine, or both to their management plan.—
Cite this Entry
“Whittling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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