as in to cull
to remove less desirable choices from a group or list
They winnowed the pool of applicants down to a few of the strongest candidates. I tried to winnow out the options that weren't a good value for the price.
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Recent Examples of winnow
DeChambeau shot a 7-over 77 to put him at 10-over through the first two days of golf’s third major of the year, a few shots more than the cutline that winnows the field before the third and fourth rounds.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
The field of contestants, ages 8 to 14, will be winnowed down through several rounds of spelling and giving definitions.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
She is squarely focused on defending public educators from the threats to winnow down the agency and launched the caucus in response to them.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 9 May 2025
That winnowed the field of borrowers from roughly 42 million to a total of 19.6 million borrowers.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
The field of contestants, ages 8 to 14, will be winnowed down through several rounds of spelling and giving definitions.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
She is squarely focused on defending public educators from the threats to winnow down the agency and launched the caucus in response to them.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 9 May 2025
That winnowed the field of borrowers from roughly 42 million to a total of 19.6 million borrowers.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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It’s established that one, Dek, is considered the runt of his clan and should be culled.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 July 2025
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This trust was culled not simply via the act of music making, but because Bambii was also doing something much rarer in the scene — developing a unique sound.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Nvidia then pared its gains but finished the day up by 1.8%, putting the company’s market value at just below $4 trillion.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
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Other agents had dismissed Weinberg as a habitual liar looking to pare down his prison sentence, but Fuller saw potential.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
8 July 2025
Verb
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There’s open-pore wood trim with backlit accents, brushed aluminum trim, a wide range of ambient lights and three-zone climate control.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending legislation will trim more than $900 billion in federal spending on Medicaid over the next decade.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
Verb
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On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump had just sent letters to the heads of 17 major pharmaceutical companies pushing them to cut the prices that Americans have to pay down to the levels that people in other countries pay.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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The storm cut nearby Miccosukee tribal members off from the rest of the world for two days.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Do not follow large vehicles closely - Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
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Morning dopamine spikes from phone use reduce your motivation to pursue slower, more meaningful tasks later.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The race director has to sift through all the information at their disposal to determine the safest option.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
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Then use a sharp knife or shovel to cut into the turf on three sides of a one-square-foot area, rolling back the sod and sifting through the top few inches of soil.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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