Synonyms of winnow

winnow

verb

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cull
• pare
• trim
• cut
• reduce
• sift
• discard
• jettison
• filter
• slash
• reject
• refuse
• condense
• shorten
• throw away
• prune
• crop
• spurn
• shrink
• truncate
• curtail
• throw out
• turn down
• retrench
• cut down
• repudiate
• abridge
• cut back
• compress
• downsize
• negative
• decrease
• deplete
• decline
• dock
• lessen
• disapprove
• dwindle
• abbreviate
• minimize
• whittle (down)
• ease
• dent
• clip
• abate
• clear
• constrict
• nick
• lower
• knock down
• modulate
• modify
• downscale
• drop
• moderate
• qualify
• distill
• refine
• deflate
• distil
• sieve
• purify
• contract
• fine
• process
• de-escalate
• clarify
• screen
• rectify
• bolt
• garble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• select
• pick
• choose
• take
• cull
• elect
• prefer
• set
• appoint
• name
• nominate
• designate
• adopt
• tap
• accept
• single (out)
• opt (for)
• tag
• handpick
• tab
• mark
• fix
• embrace
• preselect
• cherry-pick
• settle (on or upon)
• espouse
• swell
• inflate
• extend
• dilate
• blow up
• add (to)
• prolong
• lengthen
• elongate
• complement
• supplement
• enhance
• intensify
• increase
• expand
• heighten
• augment
• raise
• distend
• amplify
• enlarge
• protract
• redouble
• boost
• escalate
• aggrandize

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Powers winnowed the list of 21 docs from over 900 submissions. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 7 Aug. 2024

But the particular needs for Harris and her party at this moment also winnowed the field. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Aug. 2024

That’s who Trump Jr. was speaking to, of course: a Republican convention that had itself been winnowed down to its most pro-Trump element. —Philip Bump, Washington Post, 22 July 2024

That number is larger than previously reported, and is an indication that the campaign is casting a wide net at the start of this process and isn't winnowing the list yet. —Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 24 July 2024