whittle
verb (used with object)
to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife.
whittles
-
present tense formof whittle (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
That’s because inflation whittles away at the real purchasing power of those future interest payments.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Continuing to work whittles away at what time we have left to travel and enjoy the rest of the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Even as the state hospital whittles down its waitlist, it’s still grappling with how to handle the influx of patients with a wide range of needs.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024
This event often whittles down the primary field to a handful of candidates.
From Reuters ● Aug. 16, 2023
It whittles you down to lie up to fifty times in the space of the fifteen minutes or so it takes to do a “survey,” even when there’s a higher moral purpose to serve.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
