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
Earlier rounds winnowed down the list to 18 finalists, all of whom served their dishes to a new set of judges Friday.
—
Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
DeChambeau shot a 7-over 77 to put him at 10-over through the first two days of golf’s third major of the year, a few shots more than the cutline that winnows the field before the third and fourth rounds.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
The field of contestants, ages 8 to 14, will be winnowed down through several rounds of spelling and giving definitions.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
She is squarely focused on defending public educators from the threats to winnow down the agency and launched the caucus in response to them.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
DeChambeau shot a 7-over 77 to put him at 10-over through the first two days of golf’s third major of the year, a few shots more than the cutline that winnows the field before the third and fourth rounds.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
The field of contestants, ages 8 to 14, will be winnowed down through several rounds of spelling and giving definitions.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
She is squarely focused on defending public educators from the threats to winnow down the agency and launched the caucus in response to them.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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It’s established that one, Dek, is considered the runt of his clan and should be culled.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 July 2025
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This trust was culled not simply via the act of music making, but because Bambii was also doing something much rarer in the scene — developing a unique sound.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Diageo shares have pared gains, last trading around 3% higher as investors digest the drinks maker's earnings report.—
Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
5 Aug. 2025
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Voters will rank candidates in order of preference, and there will be no political primary to pare the field.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There’s open-pore wood trim with backlit accents, brushed aluminum trim, a wide range of ambient lights and three-zone climate control.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending legislation will trim more than $900 billion in federal spending on Medicaid over the next decade.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
Verb
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On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump had just sent letters to the heads of 17 major pharmaceutical companies pushing them to cut the prices that Americans have to pay down to the levels that people in other countries pay.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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The storm cut nearby Miccosukee tribal members off from the rest of the world for two days.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Judge Kevin McDonough reduced Dennis' bond to $20,000.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
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The vertical design helps minimize the risk of injury from RSI and reduces muscle tension in the arm for more comfort throughout the working day.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The race director has to sift through all the information at their disposal to determine the safest option.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
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Then use a sharp knife or shovel to cut into the turf on three sides of a one-square-foot area, rolling back the sod and sifting through the top few inches of soil.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
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