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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In addition to the music films – with many stars, such as Madonna, Barellies, Frampton and Katy Perry sticking around for post-screening chats – Tribeca has also culled a music video lineup showcasing work from Linda Perry, Jack White, Benson Boone and 5 Seconds of Summer.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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In the middle, a Cartman in the role of a Midtown tax adviser dispenses accounting tips and tricks, culled from a YouTube account run by a real-life New York CPA.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 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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Researchers say the facility significantly cuts both training time and cost for AI models.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Sacramento’s latest homelessness decision will cut funding and reduce services at some shelters that support pregnant youth, the LGBTQ+ community and young parents.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Prices later pared gains after Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNBC that military operations against Israel have ended.—
Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
-
Treasuries pared declines, pulling two-year yields back from a more than 15-month high, as reports of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran eased the upward pressure on oil prices.—
Ruth Carson,
Bloomberg,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The Knicks are down by 23 points early in the second quarter, and are only shooting 33% from the field, and Madison Square Garden has been reduced to murmurs.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
Language barriers may soon be greatly reduced, allowing for a historically impossible level of information sharing and growth.—
Jessica Melugin,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winnowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnowed. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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