Etymology
Origin of whittling
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.
They also cut down the number of players, starting the second season with 200 contestants before quickly whittling them down to 100, then 25.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026
But the key is to put a cap on how much you spend to avoid falling into the trap of whittling away your winnings.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 12, 2025
Billed as a fundraiser, the debt-ridden centre said the money from the portfolios would go towards whittling down a long list of overdue bills, including unpaid wages for educators.
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2025
Doing so would fast-track the bills into law without the normal whittling down that happens in committee hearings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2025
He liked to sit out front whittling on some rough little santo, watching the prairie dogs establish themselves.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
