whittle away

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.

At first, she was content to whittle away at her debt by making the minimum payments for perhaps two decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Then, as Joe tries and fails to whittle away at Brontë’s sense of self in a bid to regain her affections, he realizes that he has lost control.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025

"If you don't feel exhilarated by it, it's a slog. It's a really, really dreadful way to whittle away your life unless you love it," he says.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2024

As deputy spacecraft manager at the time, she worked with teams spanning all the telescope’s sections to whittle away at its mass so it would be ready and able to launch.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2021

He tried to temporize, to whittle away her fears.

From Number Seventeen by Tracy, Louis