trickled; trickling
ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to issue or fall in drops
b
: to flow in a thin gentle stream
2
a
: to move or go one by one or little by little
customers began to trickle in
b
: to dissipate slowly
his enthusiasm trickled away
: a thin, slow, or intermittent stream or movement
Examples of trickle in a Sentence
Verb
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
Water was trickling out of the gutter.
People trickled into the theater.
Donations have been trickling in.
Noun
We heard the trickle of water from the roof.
The flow of water slowed to a trickle.
Sales have slowed to a trickle in recent weeks.
A slow trickle of customers came into the store throughout the day.
Recent Examples on the Web
John Burek, PCMAG, 2 Mar. 2025
One senior British military official and a former U.S. official said while military and defense-focused officials embroiled in security debates feel the urgent need for increasing defense spending, this had not trickled down to the ordinary person in several NATO countries.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2025
Slowly water your plant until water trickles from the drainage holes in your plant’s pot, allow the excess water to drain away, and only return your plant to its saucer when the pot stops dripping.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
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Verb
The most likely scenario is that elements of these designs trickle down into final products, perhaps in more refined or simplified forms.
—John Burek, PCMAG, 2 Mar. 2025
One senior British military official and a former U.S. official said while military and defense-focused officials embroiled in security debates feel the urgent need for increasing defense spending, this had not trickled down to the ordinary person in several NATO countries.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
This devastating news comes after the slow, painful trickle of announcements regarding a near-total overhaul of the network’s broadcast line-up.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2025
Slowly water your plant until water trickles from the drainage holes in your plant’s pot, allow the excess water to drain away, and only return your plant to its saucer when the pot stops dripping.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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