What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
dribble
Example
The basketball player dribbled the ball down the court. [dribbled: past tense]
Example
The sauce began to dribble out of the bottle. [dribble: verb]
Example
The baby was drooling and dribbling all over his shirt. [dribbling: gerund or present participle]
trickle
Example
Water was trickling down the rocks in the stream. [trickling: present participle]
Example
The news of the scandal began to trickle out to the public. [trickle: verb]
Example
Only a trickle of oil was left in the bottle. [trickle: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Trickle is more commonly used than dribble in everyday language. Trickle is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while dribble is less common and is often associated with sports or physical activity.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between dribble and trickle?
Both dribble and trickle are relatively informal words and can be used in casual conversation or writing.
