verb
- carves or shapes wood by cutting away small pieces with a knife
- gradually reduces or diminishes something
Usage: often used with ‘away’, ‘down’, or ‘at’
Examples
- He whittles small animals from pieces of driftwood.
- She whittles away at the stick with her pocket knife.
- The old man whittles on the porch every evening.
- Rising costs whittle away at their savings.
- The committee whittles down the list of candidates.
- Time whittles at even the strongest relationships.
- He whittles wooden toys for his grandchildren.