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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of winnow
The Panthers’ involvement in the next Winter Classic winnows the number of teams yet to play a regular season outdoor game to one: the Utah Hockey Club, which didn’t play in one while in Arizona.
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Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2025
Through the end of 2027, the city proposes letting 29 TIF districts expire but still extending 18, leaving 90 on the books for city leaders to winnow down in order to pay off the bonds.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Ramaswamy's name was mentioned during DeWine's announcement that Husted would take up the vacant U.S. Senate seat, with a reporter asking the governor if rumors of Ramaswamy seeking DeWine's job bid led DeWine to winnow down the list of potential rivals.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
The scrappy and broadly rural culture of TikTok in India winnowed down into a more top-down influencer culture on those two platforms.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2025
Through the end of 2027, the city proposes letting 29 TIF districts expire but still extending 18, leaving 90 on the books for city leaders to winnow down in order to pay off the bonds.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Ramaswamy's name was mentioned during DeWine's announcement that Husted would take up the vacant U.S. Senate seat, with a reporter asking the governor if rumors of Ramaswamy seeking DeWine's job bid led DeWine to winnow down the list of potential rivals.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
The scrappy and broadly rural culture of TikTok in India winnowed down into a more top-down influencer culture on those two platforms.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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Elsewhere in the report, service organizations dependent on government support noted difficulties since the White House began culling through agencies that get federal aid.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
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Highly pathogenic avian influenza has forced U.S. farmers to cull 168 million birds since the outbreak began in February 2022.—
Donnelle Eller,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Four years ago, Joseph R. Biden Jr. collected $62 million (nearly $76 million in 2025 dollars) for his inauguration, though that celebration was pared down because of the coronavirus pandemic.—
Theodore Schleifer,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Meanwhile, the euro was choppy on Monday, paring gains against the greenback to fall 0.3% in the afternoon.—
Jenni Reid,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With trade tensions spooking price-sensitive consumers and high-flying decision-makers within their ranks, airlines are trimming costs, capacity, and expectations — all while hoping for smoother skies ahead.—
Catherine Baab,
Quartz,
24 Apr. 2025
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Bank of America did trim its forecast to $21 from $22, though that is still roughly 53% above Wednesday’s close.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With the new order, Trump is threatening to cut federal funds to cities and states his Administration decides are blocking his mass deportation effort.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
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The state says the rule is crucial to meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and cutting smog-forming pollutants.—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The goal of this prescribed burn is to decrease the existing fire hazard and to prevent and reduce the impact of future fires in the area.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Keeping yourself hydrated and reducing your salt intake may also help reduce bloating and help your body rid itself of excess fluid. Types of Creatine Several types of creatine are used in supplements.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With help from a few contributors, testers, and dermatologists, our editors have sifted through dozens of SPF products, narrowing down which formulas are truly the best for dark skin.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
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Investors also sifted through earnings from a packed slate of companies on Wednesday, including AT&T (T), which rose 0.9% after beating Wall Street expectations.—
Kevin Ryan,
Quartz,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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