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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of winnow
The scrappy and broadly rural culture of TikTok in India winnowed down into a more top-down influencer culture on those two platforms.
—
Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
If the market woes of 2024 continue, expect 2025 to winnow the field of art fairs, auction houses, and galleries.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Already, multiple bills have been put forward that address no-fault evictions, and lawmakers will have to winnow them down during the legislative session.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2025
Winners were chosen by a panel of 50 top automotive journalists who have driven each entrant extensively, winnowing down the field to nine finalists.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
If the market woes of 2024 continue, expect 2025 to winnow the field of art fairs, auction houses, and galleries.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Already, multiple bills have been put forward that address no-fault evictions, and lawmakers will have to winnow them down during the legislative session.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2025
Winners were chosen by a panel of 50 top automotive journalists who have driven each entrant extensively, winnowing down the field to nine finalists.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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According to a release, the half hour’s worth of footage was culled from thousands of hours of raw tape.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
8 Apr. 2025
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Like every archival clip Yousef includes in her documentary (culled from thousands of hours of footage found in a company storage locker), these selections are meticulously curated and highly revealing.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Boston Globe | Getty Images Europe’s Stoxx Healthcare index was 4.4% lower at 10:02 a.m. in London on Wednesday, paring earlier losses but still trading low enough to lead the regional equity sell-off.—
Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid,Sawdah Bhaimiya,Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
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Federal government employment showed a decline of 4,000 jobs from February to March after an initiative by the Trump administration to pare the federal workforce.—
Sylvan Lane,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If that’s the case, then trimming current expenses to increase savings should accompany the move to a more conservative portfolio.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Its snug cabin is beautifully trimmed in high-quality materials, and features wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay connectivity, and a premium Bowers & Wilkins audio system.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The mom of one most notably cut her hair in January 2023, debuting a head-turning, blunt bob.—
Dayna Haffenden,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Lakers forced the Warriors to turn the ball over after the ensuing inbounds pass, giving the Lakers an opportunity to cut their deficit to a single possession.—
Khobi Price,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This has, among other losses, reduced Egyptian revenue from the Suez Canal by about eight hundred million dollars a month.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
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Cost Savings: Automation reduces labor costs and minimizes errors.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Instead of manually sifting through dense government databases, AI can surface relevant bids, flag compliance risks and even generate near-complete proposal drafts.—
Derek Hoyt,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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Attorneys are still sifting through pages of discovery.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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