as in to cull
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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of winnow
Staff at the Elections & Registration Office plastered the entries all over their office walls and winnowed them down to 20 semi-finalists.
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Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Oct. 2024
This competition neared a climax in 2014 as NASA prepared to winnow the field to one company, or at most two, to move from the design phase into actual development.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024
For 50 years, Iowans have gathered in school gymnasiums, community centers and family living rooms to kick off the nation's presidential nominating process, wielding their outsized influence to winnow and shape the field of contenders.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024
The company winnowed down its global team to 670 employees from 800 staffers in 2019.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for winnow 
Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Oct. 2024
This competition neared a climax in 2014 as NASA prepared to winnow the field to one company, or at most two, to move from the design phase into actual development.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024
For 50 years, Iowans have gathered in school gymnasiums, community centers and family living rooms to kick off the nation's presidential nominating process, wielding their outsized influence to winnow and shape the field of contenders.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024
The company winnowed down its global team to 670 employees from 800 staffers in 2019.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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If those institutions get culled amid the Muskian push for efficiency, the hardship will not be temporary for those who rely on government support.Simon Shuster, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024
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The flavors can be traced back to the weather of 2015, which delivered a wet spring followed by a dry and warm summer season, which impacted the fruit culled during that time.Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Treasury yields, however, pared losses after an auction of U.S. three-year notes priced higher than expectations, suggesting market participants demanded a premium to take down the note.Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
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With odds still tight ahead of Tuesday, some are paring back.William Gavin, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Ingrown nails will be trimmed; calluses, corns, and loose skin will be removed; cracked heels or other problem areas will be soothed.Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
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Notably, financial exposure grew to an overweight level not seen in at least 15 years, while these firms trimmed back on health care, consumer staples and real estate.Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Part of that performance has been fueled by expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue cutting interest rates into next year, after reducing borrowing costs by 75 basis points in 2024.Lewis Krauskopf, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024
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Other photos highlighted more moments from their evening including group family shots, her sister-in-law cutting the turkey and the food spread.Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
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While noting that many Arizona cities have drastically reduced their per capita water demand, Goddard argued that cities will eventually need to find water-sharing arrangements with farms so that cities can pay farmers to use their water in dry times.Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
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Some items that normally retail for upwards of $500 have been reduced to $99 or less.John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Newsweek sifted through social media to find standout examples.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
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Republicans are also sifting through their own candidates.Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 26 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near winnow
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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