trickled; trickling
ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to issue or fall in drops
b
: to flow in a thin gentle stream
2
a
: to move or go one by one or little by little
customers began to trickle in
b
: to dissipate slowly
his enthusiasm trickled away
: a thin, slow, or intermittent stream or movement
Examples of trickle in a Sentence
Verb
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
Water was trickling out of the gutter.
People trickled into the theater.
Donations have been trickling in.
Noun
We heard the trickle of water from the roof.
The flow of water slowed to a trickle.
Sales have slowed to a trickle in recent weeks.
A slow trickle of customers came into the store throughout the day.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025
Tomatoes trickle in every now and then, but just maybe once a month.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 9 Feb. 2025
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article While proceedings in high-profile police misconduct cases slowed to a trickle in 2024, the number of internal disciplinary actions initiated by Chicago Police Department supervisors nearly doubled from 2023, according to a Tribune analysis.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Verb
Bird flu continues to wreak financial havoc for farmers, which is then trickling down to consumers in the form of higher prices, particularly on eggs.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025
Tomatoes trickle in every now and then, but just maybe once a month.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
The man gasped his last breath, then fell silent with a trickle of blood on his chin.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article While proceedings in high-profile police misconduct cases slowed to a trickle in 2024, the number of internal disciplinary actions initiated by Chicago Police Department supervisors nearly doubled from 2023, according to a Tribune analysis.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickle
Cite this Entry
“Trickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trickle. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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