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
This week, the Red Sox winnowed down the group by optioning Grissom to minor league camp on Wednesday.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
That list was winnowed in December to three corridors, including what is known as the Southwestern Grid Connector — which would run up the eastern edge of New Mexico, scrape the western edge of the Oklahoma panhandle and pierce the southeast corner of Colorado.
—John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
Ars Video Startups have shut down, winnowing the field.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 6 Mar. 2025
Three factions, three agendas, one nestled inside the next like a Russian doll: garden-variety Trumpian power-lust and piracy, covering over a deeper plan to radically winnow down the government, covering over a still deeper fever dream of completely immolating the government.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
That list was winnowed in December to three corridors, including what is known as the Southwestern Grid Connector — which would run up the eastern edge of New Mexico, scrape the western edge of the Oklahoma panhandle and pierce the southeast corner of Colorado.
—John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
Ars Video Startups have shut down, winnowing the field.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 6 Mar. 2025
Three factions, three agendas, one nestled inside the next like a Russian doll: garden-variety Trumpian power-lust and piracy, covering over a deeper plan to radically winnow down the government, covering over a still deeper fever dream of completely immolating the government.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 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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But after Morant exited, the Thunder trimmed their halftime deficit in half midway through the third quarter.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.—
Liz Weston,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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The trial of estrogen alone also raised safety concerns, though both types of therapy reduced the risk of bone fractures.—
Jean Wactawski-Wende,
The Conversation,
2 May 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 6 May. 2025.
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