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
Oscars shortlists arrive with good news for The Times
The motion picture academy announced its Oscar shortlists this week, winnowing contenders in 10 categories including international feature and documentary feature.
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Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
The unveiling of nominees for the SCL’s film scoring and song categories comes one day after the Academy released a shortlist winnowing down the contenders in similar categories.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
The consultants have also worked to recruit applicants for the job, and are working to winnow the applicants down to a number (probably six) to present to board members.
—Alan J. Borsuk, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
Finally, some analysts said the company must consider winnowing down redundant vehicles and brands to streamline operations.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for winnow 
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
The unveiling of nominees for the SCL’s film scoring and song categories comes one day after the Academy released a shortlist winnowing down the contenders in similar categories.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
The consultants have also worked to recruit applicants for the job, and are working to winnow the applicants down to a number (probably six) to present to board members.
—Alan J. Borsuk, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
Finally, some analysts said the company must consider winnowing down redundant vehicles and brands to streamline operations.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for winnow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winnow
Verb
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Milestones were squibs about births, deaths, and marriages, bits of information culled from newspapers and the wire services.John McPhee, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
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Bird flu outbreaks cause egg prices to spike because the flocks that get it are culled, according to Leibsle.Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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His evening ceremonies were pared down compared to events held around town for Obama's two inaugurations.Anna Spiegel, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
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The end-result: What was a 26 episode order was pared down to just 20 episodes.Marc Berman, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The couple can be seen having a blast as Hart took the clippers and started trimming Wilkerson's beard in various ways, eventually splitting it into three long strands.Gil Macias, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
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Bookings are now open in California, with the Origin trim starting at US$89,900, and the Signature trim at US$102,900.New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The European Central Bank, for example, is expected to cut rates further in 2025, especially in light of trade risks and global instability.Sofia Celeste, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025
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Countries that have signed onto the Paris agreement are supposed to update their national climate plans this year, and the Biden administration submitted a more ambitious plan last month of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent by 2035.Justine Calma, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Studies show that cigarettes with lower nicotine content reduce people’s dependence on nicotine and can help alleviate some of the cravings associated with withdrawal.Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
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Customers who don’t upgrade will see their rates reduced by about $13 while losing access to the regional sports networks.Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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New technologies allow the cleansing of structured and unstructured data without as much investment, but some organizations can still struggle with the volume of information that needs to be sifted to make a meaningful dent in the process.Kathleen Hurley, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Members of the Academy Documentary Branch sifted through 169 eligible nonfiction features to determine this year’s shortlist.Addie Morfoot, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near winnow
Cite this Entry
“Winnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winnow. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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