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
The club is winnowing down its pitching options.
—
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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The Legislature did start culling license plates, eliminating those that didn’t sell well.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
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Environment Minister Irene Vélez said authorities have approved a plan to cull up to 80 animals from a population that has spread across river systems in the Magdalena basin.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Commissioners asked the developer to pare down the size of the building to bring the cost closer to $200 million.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
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Even in the oil market, where prices jumped above $100 per barrel after ceasefire talks over the weekend failed to end the war, prices pared their leaps as Monday progressed.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These re-engineerings provide consumers with high-performance chronographs that are trimmed to fit into multiple cases.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Revisions also have trimmed 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls, a sign that the labor market remains under strain.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The newscast cut the bodycam footage after his entry to protect her identity, but Vogel proudly said there was no cause for concern.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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In April 2009, a unanimous council — including first-year member Todd Gloria — embraced Sanders’ plan to impose a 6% cut in pay and benefits for city workers, cutting the shortfall in half.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Smith said after talking to Gregg, Wheels Up reduced the price to $850, but storage fees for having the car since April 1 bring the grand total to at least $2,600.—
Liz Crawford,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Much like Vietnam, only a lot faster, the American war in Iran has reduced itself to saving face.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Volunteers helped sift through the splintered wood and jagged metal, and cleanup crews were clearing limbs from roads.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated April 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2026
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Curtains and Drapes When second-hand shopping expert PJ Gach worked at her local thrift store, her job was to sift through the donations and decide which ones were actually sellable.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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