WHITTLED (DOWN) Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

whittled (down)

verb

past tense of whittle (down)

as in cut down

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittled (down)

Verb

If the war does indeed come to an end and oil keeps falling, Warsh might get breathing room for rate cuts down the line.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 June 2026
Courtesy of the Abu Haikal family Haikal said his family’s own homes have been targeted in settler attacks, including having stones thrown at their home, their crops destroyed, trees cut down and property stolen.

— Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 16 June 2026

Definition of cut down

Verb

Leaving some long vines and cutting back others creates a fuller effect.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026
Many people who are attempting to cut back on their Instagram use remove the app from their phone and use only the desktop-computer version, which is clunkier and less comfortable to scroll through for hours.

— Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of cut back

Verb

And candidates who hear nothing enough times stop investing before they can be turned down, withholding the one thing the process depends on — a person willing to show up and mean it.

— Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
In fact, trade proposals have been sent to two teams — the Los Angeles Sparks and the Connecticut Sun — but were turned down.

— Annie Costabile, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Definition of turned down

Verb

The base fire department referred inquiries to the MCAS public affairs office, which had no updates on the size of the blaze or when it was knocked down.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 31 July 2026
In Long Beach, Marine Safety Battalion Chief Cameron Abel said that teams began working Wednesday morning to fortify their berm and reposition a wall of plywood, as both were knocked down by surf overnight.

— Lesley Marin, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Definition of knocked down

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whittled (down)

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“Whittled (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittled%20%28down%29. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of whittled (down)

verb

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