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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Recent Examples of winnow
The mode winnowed down players at various checkpoints (like Fall Guys) — only the top 20 kept racing after the first leg, then only the top 16, and so on, until the final course sported only four racers.
—
James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday winnowed its list of 2025 award semifinalists down to the finalists, with four San Francisco contenders and one Mendocino County one remaining in the hunt for the prestigious culinary awards.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
Since that time, however, cable has been winnowed by the migration of traditional TV watchers to streaming outlets.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
On the last day of the season, when the apprentices had been winnowed from 16 to two, then-emcee Donald Trump fired Annie on national television in favor of the comedienne Joan Rivers.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday winnowed its list of 2025 award semifinalists down to the finalists, with four San Francisco contenders and one Mendocino County one remaining in the hunt for the prestigious culinary awards.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
Since that time, however, cable has been winnowed by the migration of traditional TV watchers to streaming outlets.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
On the last day of the season, when the apprentices had been winnowed from 16 to two, then-emcee Donald Trump fired Annie on national television in favor of the comedienne Joan Rivers.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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Below are just a few of the extraordinary stories included in the documentary, all culled from these historic letters.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
26 May 2025
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Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are entering the season in turmoil, having lost thousands of experts and staff since President Donald Trump took office in January, intent on culling the federal workforce.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Verb
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His videos, paring down the frog, or fleshy, central toe on the underside of a hoof, or painting on polish, regularly get hundreds of millions of views.—
Sarah Maslin Nir,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Tesla shares had briefly risen 3.3% on the comments but later pared gains to trade up about 1%.—
Andrew Mills,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The Owls trimmed the lead to 25-20 and got the ball back at their 30 with 32 seconds remaining in the game.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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While restructuring in the name of efficiency is one way to trim headcount, a negative work environment can also have a direct impact on talent retention.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Republican bill cuts Medicaid for unemployed, undocumented children, Planned Parenthood How much do Americans rely on programs like Medicaid and Social Security?—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Vought compared it to the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement, which, at the time, cut spending by over $200 billion and did as the name suggests.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Their original sentences, which were 12 years and seven years, respectively, were reduced in September 2023.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
28 May 2025
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With Bayern aiming to reduce their wage bill, the Wirtz signing would have come at the cost of at least an extra €20million (£16.8m, $22.7m) per year, on top of a transfer fee somewhere between €100m and €150m.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Residents sift through wreckage Some neighborhoods in London, the Laurel County seat, saw total devastation -- homes blown away in the middle of the night, with residents huddling in hallways and basements.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
17 May 2025
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Nearly 1,950 years later, archaeologists are still sifting through the layers of debris and making remarkable discoveries about life—and death—in the ancient city.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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