as in culled
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 winnowed
The first knockout round continues through Friday night, when the field will be winnowed to 16 teams.
—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 June 2026
The council winnowed that list down to five finalists who interviewed for the post last week ahead of Monday’s vote.
—
Mary Ramsey
updated June 22,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
The field will be winnowed to two finalists, with a vote of the circuit judges determining the winner.
—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Steyer won the backing of the powerful California Teachers Association, which previously endorsed Swalwell, and the support of Betty Yee, who suspended her bid last week and further winnowed the race.
—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
25 Apr. 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
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has winnowed thousands of submissions for its Name a Snowplow contest down to 30 finalists.
—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
After fermentation and toasting, the beans are winnowed and placed in a melanger, a stone grinder that runs for up to 72 to turn the beans into a velvety, smooth paste.
—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
Finally, Thoreau winnowed once again, translating some, but not all, of the list items to his charts of general phenomena, and carefully noting the dates on which each phenomenon occurred in the spaces of the grid.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 June 2026
The council winnowed that list down to five finalists who interviewed for the post last week ahead of Monday’s vote.
—
Mary Ramsey
updated June 22,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
The field will be winnowed to two finalists, with a vote of the circuit judges determining the winner.
—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Steyer won the backing of the powerful California Teachers Association, which previously endorsed Swalwell, and the support of Betty Yee, who suspended her bid last week and further winnowed the race.
—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
25 Apr. 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
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has winnowed thousands of submissions for its Name a Snowplow contest down to 30 finalists.
—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
After fermentation and toasting, the beans are winnowed and placed in a melanger, a stone grinder that runs for up to 72 to turn the beans into a velvety, smooth paste.
—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
Finally, Thoreau winnowed once again, translating some, but not all, of the list items to his charts of general phenomena, and carefully noting the dates on which each phenomenon occurred in the spaces of the grid.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnowed
Verb
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Along with detecting Houston's talent in 1983, Davis culled a coterie of other radio regulars in the '80s and '90s – Thompson Twins, Taylor Dayne and Ace of Base among them – before expanding the Arista empire.
-
But the industry suffered a serious blow when legislators culled the entire drone production program from its recent budget.
Verb
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Both wore bras by Intimissimi, with Amelia selecting a black bra trimmed with ivory lace, and Eliza sporting an all-white version of the same piece.
-
The Mass, rich in velvet and gold-trimmed vestments, chanting and incense, was livestreamed on the society’s YouTube channel, with simultaneous explanations in several languages.
Verb
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Kirkmeyer has campaigned on affordability and safety issues, Bottoms is pushing for a redo of the state's education system among other things and Marx wants to cut regulations and lower the cost of living.
-
Terrell Carstens, a 25-year resident of Brookhaven, said she is frustrated the city made little effort to find places to cut costs instead of raising the rate.
Verb
-
In the oil market, prices dropped in the morning but pared their losses as the day progressed.
-
Men’s fashion was generally pared back and models sporting it often had natural-looking hair and makeup at the recent Paris catwalk displays for spring 2027.
Verb
-
Data indicates declining trust in managers and reduced interest in leadership among younger generations.
-
Each union agreed to slightly different terms for how long the leave programs are in place and by how much salaries were reduced.
Cite this Entry
“Winnowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnowed. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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