Synonyms of winnows

winnows

verb

present tense third-person singular of winnow

as in culls

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.

Related Words

• culls
• trims
• cuts
• sifts
• reduces
• pares
• discards
• jettisons
• rejects
• refuses
• filters
• crops
• shortens
• spurns
• slashes
• shrinks
• condenses
• throws away
• truncates
• repudiates
• disapproves
• prunes
• turns down
• decreases
• declines
• retrenches
• cuts down
• throws out
• curtails
• downsizes
• lowers
• abbreviates
• eases
• compresses
• dwindles
• clips
• abridges
• depletes
• cuts back
• minimizes
• lessens
• clears
• whittles (down)
• abates
• docks
• nicks
• negatives
• constricts
• knocks down
• dents
• modifies
• modulates
• drops
• contracts
• deflates
• downscales
• qualifies
• moderates
• refines
• purifies
• de-escalates
• distills
• sieves
• processes
• fines
• garbles
• screens
• clarifies
• rectifies
• bolts

Dissimilar Words

• selects
• takes
• chooses
• elects
• picks
• prefers
• sets
• names
• nominates
• adopts
• accepts
• taps
• designates
• embraces
• appoints
• culls
• marks
• singles (out)
• handpicks
• opts (for)
• tabs
• tags
• fixes
• espouses
• swells
• cherry-picks
• extends
• settles (on or upon)
• dilates
• preselects
• inflates
• distends
• lengthens
• prolongs
• adds (to)
• elongates
• complements
• blows up
• enhances
• intensifies
• increases
• heightens
• supplements
• expands
• raises
• augments
• amplifies
• protracts
• enlarges
• boosts
• escalates
• redoubles
• aggrandizes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of winnows

The primary winnows the field for most federal, state and local offices, with the two candidates who receive the most votes advancing to the general election that decides who wins. — John Woolfolk, Mercury News, 18 May 2026

From that group, the Playwrights Project staff winnows down the number to a list of finalists and those scripts are read and judged by a group of theater professionals. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026