trickle Definition
- 1to flow slowly in a thin stream or in drops
- 2to enter, occur, or arrive gradually and in small numbers or amounts
Using trickle: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "trickle" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Water trickled down the window pane.
Example
The news about the virus has been trickling in for weeks.
Example
The company's profits have been trickling away for years.
Example
The tears trickled down her cheeks.
trickle Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using trickle
Example
The company's profits have been trickling away for years.
Example
The news about the virus has been trickling down for weeks.
Example
Reports of damage from the storm began to trickle in.
Phrases with trickle
trickle-down effect
the idea that benefits given to wealthy people will trickle down to everyone else in society
Example
The government's tax cuts for the rich were supposed to have a trickle-down effect on the economy.
Example
I always use a trickle charge to keep my car battery from dying.
a phenomenon where someone gradually reveals more information about a situation over time, often in an attempt to minimize the impact of the information
Example
He told me he was at the bar with some friends, but it turned out to be a trickle truth - he was actually out with his ex-girlfriend.
Origins of trickle
from Middle English 'triklen', of unknown origin
Summary: trickle in Brief
The verb 'trickle' [ˈtrɪkəl] refers to the slow flow of liquid in a thin stream or drops. It can also describe the gradual arrival or occurrence of something in small numbers or amounts, as in 'The news about the virus has been trickling in for weeks.' The term extends into phrases like 'trickle-down effect,' which suggests that benefits given to wealthy people will eventually benefit everyone else, and idioms like 'trickle away,' meaning to gradually disappear or diminish.
