as in sparse
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1
as in dripping
to fall or let fall in or as if in drops
trickled a little honey into her tea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in splashing
to flow in a broken irregular stream
the brook trickled along the glade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trickling
Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Several of his employees manned the shop, who outnumbered the customers trickling in.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Now, those fuel surcharges are trickling down to local businesses that rely on cars for their operations.
—Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
This escape, which borders Canada, spans over 218,000 acres with lakes, boreal forests, and trickling streams.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
The ebb and flow sounds like rustling leaves or trickling water, somehow both earthly and hyperreal.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
The sound of trickling water is relaxing, and the decorative look of the fountain is just as pleasing.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Spring Valley Nature Preserve offers a dozen easy hiking trails through the forest and along Salt Run, a trickling creek that was used by early settlers for salt production.
—Midwest Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Measles crept into Utah and Arizona in June, with reports trickling into local health departments of patients coming to doctors and saying their children had just recovered from full-body rashes, and parents telling pediatricians that their whole family had just recovered from measles.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Several of his employees manned the shop, who outnumbered the customers trickling in.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Now, those fuel surcharges are trickling down to local businesses that rely on cars for their operations.
—Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
This escape, which borders Canada, spans over 218,000 acres with lakes, boreal forests, and trickling streams.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
The ebb and flow sounds like rustling leaves or trickling water, somehow both earthly and hyperreal.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
The sound of trickling water is relaxing, and the decorative look of the fountain is just as pleasing.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Spring Valley Nature Preserve offers a dozen easy hiking trails through the forest and along Salt Run, a trickling creek that was used by early settlers for salt production.
—Midwest Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trickling
Adjective
-
That’s not just problematic for poorer communities but also for affluent suburbs like Cheshire that get sparse state funding.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
-
All 12 songs incorporate bells or bell-like instruments into their sparse mixes.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Queso dripping all over the meat and other toppings is so much more fun.—
Aly Walansky,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Always place the package on a plate or inside a container—raw meat dripping onto produce or leftovers is one of the most common sources of cross-contamination in the home kitchen.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The birds’ splashing tends to discourage mosquito larvae development.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That viral video of the bear splashing in his ice bath exists because dedicated researchers and zookeepers are working to make sure polar bears have a future — in the Arctic and beyond.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Marist, which has scant returning experience from last year’s national powerhouse, jumped out to leads of 5-0 and 16-5 in the ninth game of the day against Glenbard West.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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By Sunday afternoon, only a scant few remained in the stadium’s team shop.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Drivers will discover that the design causes unavoidable backups in both directions on Broward Boulevard, plus confusing and hazardous lane changes to avoid traffic flowing from the opposite direction.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Tucker County sits high on the ridge, with no rivers flowing into it and limited water storage.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The next day, Nataliia was washing the landing outside of her apartment with vinegar, as advised by officials, when an evacuation order was issued.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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This includes drinking water, water used for brushing teeth, washing for washing dishes and water for food preparation, officials said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In a recent lab demonstration done by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the compact humanoid moved with surprising fluidity—dribbling, passing, and sinking shots after practising thousands of simulated drills.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Doctors noted a crackling sound, suggesting gases bubbling out of his dying flesh, and some of the outer layers of skin were peeling off.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
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Recorded on five reel-to-reel decks, the composer’s 1975 piece blends everyday and exotic sounds—human breath, cheeping frogs, bubbling geysers—into a passionate defense of the raptures of listening.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trickling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trickling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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