as in cuts
to cause to diminish gradually by or as if by cutting off bits with a knife
He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
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Recent Examples of whittles
Throughout the regular season, the league evaluates those 70 people and whittles the larger list down to the top 40 (20 referees paired with 20 linespeople).
—
Sean Gentille, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Typically, Cameron whittles his selections for each part down to five or six actors based on recommendations and audition tapes, and not only meets with them but tries to create some of the circumstances that will be replicated on set.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
Sean Gentille, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Typically, Cameron whittles his selections for each part down to five or six actors based on recommendations and audition tapes, and not only meets with them but tries to create some of the circumstances that will be replicated on set.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whittles
Verb
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These systems charge when electricity is cheap and feed power back during peak hours, which cuts reliance on the most expensive generation and keeps prices more stable.—
Tom Von Essen,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
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The video then cuts to two Apache helicopters whirling up.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Joe Rodon clips a pass over the top of the Brentford defence for Calvert-Lewin to contest.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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The holder clips right to your pack or waders and keeps everything in a neat, easy-to-dispense stack.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Protein lowers the glycemic load and blood sugar response.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
4 May 2026
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That means grants and tax credits for small businesses to upgrade equipment, improve energy efficiency, and transition to cleaner technologies so compliance lowers their costs over time instead of raising them.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Designed by Sam Burch Architects, the house takes a familiar Mediterranean look and pares it back, using the natural setting to do alot of the heavy lifting.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
6 Apr. 2026
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Marvel Avengers Expansion Impressions The biggest strength of the Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game expansions continues to be succinct writing that pares down decades of comic book history into a short but informative chapter.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His first full length album, Fantasyland, drops next month.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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North Texas Sleep Solutions notes that body temperature naturally drops at bedtime, and a cool room reinforces that signal.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Advertisement The court's decision not only curtails a policy Trump has repeatedly credited with strengthening American leverage abroad, but also carries major financial and legal consequences.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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Think of this as the pessimistic, narrower option, where the greenhouse effect curtails the zone's inner edge and the loss of carbon dioxide from a planetary atmosphere marks its outer edge.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The new, shorter course (who comes in and shortens a course?—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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These compounds are widely seen as the main cause of the shuttle effect that shortens battery life and lowers efficiency.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This single habit dramatically reduces soap scum, the same buildup that makes tile floors dangerously slippery.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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This reduces their effectiveness, slowing down your machine and causing long-term damage.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whittles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whittles. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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