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winnow

verb

Definition of winnownext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of winnow The number of options could initially stretch into the billions as the league winnowed down the choices. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 28 July 2026 The board winnowed down its list from six semifinalists to two in a vote at a special meeting held Tuesday. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026 But for three contests — Assembly District 67, Assembly District 68 and Assembly District 72 — the June 2 primary was needed to winnow the field. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 7 July 2026 The first knockout round continues through Friday night, when the field will be winnowed to 16 teams. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
  1. cull
  2. trim
  3. cut
  4. pare
  5. sift
  6. reduce
  7. discard
Verb
  • The past five years were a culling season of sorts for the Prada Group.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • When ranchers can’t afford to keep feeding animals through a drought, they’re forced to cull early, including breeding cows that would otherwise produce next year’s calf crop.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of cull
Verb
  • Among the various materials that Bentley can use to trim the interior are a new merino wool fabric and a wood finish that’s made from up to 1,000 walnut offcuts glued together, then sliced up to use as a veneer.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
  • On Tuesday, the Dodgers trimmed their magic number to clinch a first-round bye to one.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of trim
Verb
  • Lopez tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Hernandez to cut Miami’s lead to 11 points.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The decline raises the prospect of an interest rate cut by the central bank at next week’s monetary policy committee meeting, the penultimate one for this year.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut
Verb
  • Still, paring down can declutter cupboards and lead to a smaller collection that'll actually get used.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Oil prices fell around 2% on hopes that Saudi Arabia was moving to restore about half of crude shipments within days after they were disrupted by the stoppage of its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, before paring losses.
    — September 18, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of pare
Verb
  • This might be fine for a night or two to diagnose a sleep disorder, but gathering enough data on enough people to sift out long-term statistical correlations just isn’t feasible.
    — Mike McRae September 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a lot to sift through, and knowing which pieces are actually worth your cart takes some finesse.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of sift
Verb
  • Because the coating is already on the coil, manufacturers may be able to reduce reliance on external lubrication and additional e-coating processes.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The goal, advocates say, was to get individuals struggling with addiction treatment while reducing overcrowding inside state prisons.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • Its two outer booster engines were discarded during flight, while the central sustainer continued operating and later helped the converted Atlas launch John Glenn into orbit.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Any Weather Mac is designed to be sustainable from how it’s made to how it’s discarded, with the company taking steps to make sure the product won’t end up in a landfill.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of discard

Browse Nearby Words

winnings
winnow
winnowed
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Cite this Entry

“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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