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
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
Shortages of fertilizer shipments will trickle down into food and grocery costs.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Already, Tehran's ongoing drone and missile strikes against tankers have reduced the flow of oil to a trickle, according to a report from the International Energy Agency.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trickle
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Verb
The puck trickled behind him but it was scooped out of danger, only for Whitaker Zinger to steal it in front and feed Latulippe for the game-winning wrister.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
Shortages of fertilizer shipments will trickle down into food and grocery costs.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
But industry sources told me that in some cases, managers found those super-safe cushions an unnecessary drag on their returns, since loads of money was pouring in, and only a trickle leaving.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Already, Tehran's ongoing drone and missile strikes against tankers have reduced the flow of oil to a trickle, according to a report from the International Energy Agency.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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