whittle
verb (used with object)
to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife.
have been whittling
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present perfect progressiveof whittle.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Coronavirus has stopped the physical visits and we have been whittling down the video chats.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2020
States have been whittling away at a backlog of filings, but delays in some places persist.
From New York Times ● Jul. 23, 2020
The California casinos have been whittling away at the dominance of the Las Vegas gaming industry ever since.
From New York Times ● May 28, 2020
Since 2013, police have been whittling away at thousands of unprocessed rape kits collected by Memphis since the 1980s.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 14, 2018
Since then, courts have been whittling away restrictions imposed by wardens.
From Time Magazine Archive
