WHITTLE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

whittle

verb

Definition of whittle

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of whittle This man is whittling a star for the tree and standing up for eldest daughters everywhere? — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026 The Los Angeles mayor is a nonpartisan position, meaning the June 2 primary was not separated by party and simply whittled the pool down to the top two candidates. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026 The market is trying to recover, but elite collectors seemingly want only trophy works; raging global conflicts, economic uncertainty, and political turmoil have whittled demand down to the safest names. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 Next, your votes whittled the field of contenders to the Top 10 picks, then down to the Top 5 and Top 2. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for whittle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittle

Verb

Trading firms began using low-latency (shorter delay) technology and co-locating servers inside exchange data centers, cutting trade execution times to milliseconds and making speed itself a competitive advantage.

— Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Bass defended her proposal to cut the climate office amid the budget crunch, which the City Council rejected.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

In March, Woods was traveling at a high rate of speed on Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped a truck and rolled onto its side.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
In March, Woods' Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and the legendary golfer was arrested, officials said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of clip

Verb

The rooms Like the rest of the hotel, Maçakızı’s 74 rooms are pared back and unfussy.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
There were no major surprises after the team made its final cuts, paring the roster down to 53 players days ahead of the flight to Melbourne, Australia, for Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of pare

Verb

The informant cut a deal with prosecutors to record Vaughn and testify against him in exchange for drug charges against him being dropped.

— Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Recent drone deliveries have not been flawless — a video spread across the internet earlier this month after an Amazon drone dropped a Texas customer’s package into her swimming pool.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of drop

Verb

Oil prices remain high as the Iran war has curtailed traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which once accounted for about 20% of the world’s oil shipments.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
In addition to the fiscal burden of subsidies, North American consumers will have to give up some access to cheaper Chinese products today to curtail excessive dependence in the future.

— Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of curtail

Browse Nearby Words

whits

whittle

whittled

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“Whittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittle. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of whittle

verb

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