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
Notably, voters will winnow a crowded field of candidates for governor down to two.
—
Paris Barraza, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Two semifinals, on May 12 and 14, will winnow the field of competitors down to 25 who will compete in the grand final on May 16, hosted by Austrian singer/crystal heiress Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrowski.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Steyer won the backing of the powerful California Teachers Association, which previously endorsed Swalwell, and the support of Betty Yee, who suspended her bid last week and further winnowed the race.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2026
The Beef Council will winnow down the nominations to select regional finalists.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Paris Barraza, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Two semifinals, on May 12 and 14, will winnow the field of competitors down to 25 who will compete in the grand final on May 16, hosted by Austrian singer/crystal heiress Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrowski.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Steyer won the backing of the powerful California Teachers Association, which previously endorsed Swalwell, and the support of Betty Yee, who suspended her bid last week and further winnowed the race.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2026
The Beef Council will winnow down the nominations to select regional finalists.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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Last year, CargoWise and E2Open parent WiseTech Global announced a nearly 30 percent culling of its staff through 2027, overtly tying the job cuts to its deployments of AI technologies.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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Sacramento County prosecutors brought McGovern back to the stand for more hours of video culled in the hours before the deadliest mass shooting in Sacramento history.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The distribution was pared down even more.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Style them for your next night out with Another Tomorrow’s slinky tank, a pair of Banana Republic trousers, and Chloé’s knotted leather belt for a look that’s pared-back yet packed with punch.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The Spurs outlasted New York 115-111 in Game 3, trimming the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1 entering Wednesday’s Game 4.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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Following a Game 3 loss that trimmed the Knicks' series lead to 2-1, a steady drumbeat of self-criticism emerged from the team's remarks.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The moment came in the 73rd minute with a goal from Mauricio to cut the US advantage to 3-1.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Simpson robbed Adell of a homer in the eighth to keep the Rays within two, and Aranda cut it to 4-3 with a two-out single off Farris before Zeferjahn finished.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The coronavirus vaccine reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events linked to covid-19 — strokes, heart attacks, and hospitalization from heart disease — by about 40 percent, according to a new study.—
Daniel Wu,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
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Fox would take on $8 million in debt to pay for the Roku acquisition, and the companies expect to reduce combined expenses by $400 million.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Although peak performance continues to improve, the models also churn out copious amounts of garbage as a by-product, requiring heroic interventions to sift sense from slop.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
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No longer in the mode of hoarding futures and accumulating options, General Manager Pat Verbeek and his staff will now need to sift through their stockpile.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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