process of elimination

noun phrase

: the act of considering and rejecting each possible choice until only one is left
She figured out who he was by (the) process of elimination.

Examples of process of elimination in a Sentence

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Whereas Selena exudes ambition, Pete is inexplicably determined not to advance in his job — which is tricky, since Willie keeps killing his superiors, which means Pete’s bound to become captain eventually, if only by process of elimination. Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025 Mister Fear Mister Fear - one of the four men who have assumed the role in the comics - is a good candidate purely by process of elimination. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025 At the end of the day, there was some process of elimination. EW.com, 26 Feb. 2025 Then after their first guess, players must use a process of elimination to work out the answer. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024 The Warriors don’t have many young players on their roster, so the process of elimination can be pretty specific. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2024 How to Play 'Wordle' Players must identify a mystery five-letter word by using a process of elimination to work out the answer. Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 These statements have in themselves fueled the idea that via a process of elimination, the sightings must show alien involvement. Emma Woollacott, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 The Cubs have fielded interest in Taillon mostly through the process of elimination. The Athletic Mlb Staff, The Athletic, 25 July 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Process of elimination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/process%20of%20elimination. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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