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
And as this stuff shakes out, that 23 will probably winnow and what Dara’s talking about with the multichannel distribution is just messy.
—
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
The leadership of the AI trade has been winnowed down to Alphabet along with memory stocks and the energy/electrification infrastructure suppliers, which are exploiting product scarcity to impose a quasi-tax on the builders.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
From that group, the Playwrights Project staff winnows down the number to a list of finalists and those scripts are read and judged by a group of theater professionals.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Investigators then winnow down the group further by excluding people who, for instance, might have been out of the country when a crime was committed.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
The leadership of the AI trade has been winnowed down to Alphabet along with memory stocks and the energy/electrification infrastructure suppliers, which are exploiting product scarcity to impose a quasi-tax on the builders.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
From that group, the Playwrights Project staff winnows down the number to a list of finalists and those scripts are read and judged by a group of theater professionals.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Investigators then winnow down the group further by excluding people who, for instance, might have been out of the country when a crime was committed.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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Some of the imagery seen by Ferreira’s character is genuine content culled from online, carefully trimmed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
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As the scouts tell it, MLB and teams used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to cull the herd of older scouts.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lawmakers pared back the idea through the amendment process in February, citing concerns that the original language would swell state spending, box out private pest-control companies and create an unfunded mandate to counties, which historically handle pests that threaten farms and infrastructure.—
Mark Dee
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
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Asian equity markets pared early losses, with some reversing into positive territory on the news.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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His volunteering includes helping seniors by mowing their lawns, trimming their hedges and bringing them dinner on holidays.—
Janice Neumann,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Cavaliers led by as many as 36 points, but the Heat went on a third-quarter run to cut the deficit to 19 in the final seconds of the period.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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Reduce the lot size, cut the square footage, and a house should cost less, supporters said.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Protective styles like low buns or braids can also reduce frizz throughout the day.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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In her tenure, Colorado has taken major steps to increase price transparency, reduce hospital and prescription drug costs, and hold the health care industry accountable.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As investors sift through the jobs data in the week ahead, the goal is to gain at least some additional clarity on the economy’s trajectory and the Fed’s next moves.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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