whittle

verbCommon GRE wordMore W words

to gradually reduce something by removing pieces little by little

In a sentence

Whittle in a sentence

Here is an example sentence showing whittle in a sentence.

The board whittled the budget down until almost nothing remained for research.

Synonyms

paretrimreduce

Antonyms

expandaugmentenlarge

Keep going

to speak or write evasively without committing to a clear position

playfully roguish or mischievously humorous

to indulge oneself excessively in a state or emotion

pale and sickly in appearance, suggesting weakness or weariness

a strong, restless desire to travel and explore the world

to decrease gradually in size, strength, or importance

marked by reckless cruelty or a deliberate disregard for restraint

to sing with trilling, modulated notes

Common questions

Whittle (verb) means to gradually reduce something by removing pieces little by little

Here is whittle used in an example sentence: "The board whittled the budget down until almost nothing remained for research."

Common synonyms for whittle include pare, trim, reduce.

Antonyms of whittle include expand, augment, enlarge.

Whittle is a GRE-level vocabulary word worth knowing for the Verbal section.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.