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 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
These associates would then be winnowed out over time.
—Atta Tarki, Harvard Business Review, 2 Oct. 2025
West Point cancelled an award ceremony for Tom Hanks, after having already winnowed its library of potentially offensive books.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
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
These associates would then be winnowed out over time.
—Atta Tarki, Harvard Business Review, 2 Oct. 2025
West Point cancelled an award ceremony for Tom Hanks, after having already winnowed its library of potentially offensive books.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnowed
Verb
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That’s raising alarms at a difficult time for the cattle industry, as drought and high production costs have culled the nation’s herd to a 75-year low.—
Ilena Peng,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
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Sacramento County prosecutors brought McGovern back to the stand for more hours of video culled in the hours before the deadliest mass shooting in Sacramento history.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Bell notes that vegetation touching the house provides pests with a direct bridge inside, so keep shrubs trimmed back.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
The 2027 Brent forecast was trimmed to $75 from $80.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The current unrest first erupted in May after Paz cut long-standing fuel subsidies to shrink the deficit.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Some analysts expect Apple could benefit as manufacturers of Android devices cut specs or raise prices.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The distribution was pared down even more.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Style them for your next night out with Another Tomorrow’s slinky tank, a pair of Banana Republic trousers, and Chloé’s knotted leather belt for a look that’s pared-back yet packed with punch.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In March, Tyler pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal that reduced his first-degree rape charge to a third-degree offense.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
The only exception came during the COVID years, when the schedule was temporarily reduced.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winnowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnowed. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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