Winnow out
verb
To remove or get rid of unwanted or less valuable parts, leaving the best.
The competition is intense, and only the best players will be able to winnow out the weaker ones.

Often appears as...
- winnow out the weak
- winnow out the ineffective
verb
To discover or identify from among a larger group or quantity.
The police were able to winnow out the main suspect from the group.

Often appears as...
- winnow out the suspect
- winnow out the culprit
verb
To remove or get rid of unwanted or less valuable parts, leaving the best.
The competition is intense, and only the best players will be able to winnow out the weaker ones.

Often appears as...
- winnow out the weak
- winnow out the ineffective
verb
To discover or identify from among a larger group or quantity.
The police were able to winnow out the main suspect from the group.

Often appears as...
- winnow out the suspect
- winnow out the culprit
Definition 1 of 2

Selective Filtering
Think of separating wheat from chaff. 'Winnow out' involves a selection process that keeps the best.

After reviewing all applications, we will winnow out the most promising candidates.
Quality Emphasis
'Winnow out' implies a focus on quality by discarding the less desirable.

The edit process helped us winnow out errors in the manuscript.
Reduction
The phrase suggests cutting down on quantity to improve quality or efficiency.

The company decided to winnow out excess product lines.
Selective Filtering
Think of separating wheat from chaff. 'Winnow out' involves a selection process that keeps the best.

After reviewing all applications, we will winnow out the most promising candidates.
Quality Emphasis
'Winnow out' implies a focus on quality by discarding the less desirable.

The edit process helped us winnow out errors in the manuscript.
Reduction
The phrase suggests cutting down on quantity to improve quality or efficiency.

The company decided to winnow out excess product lines.
Selective Filtering
Think of separating wheat from chaff. 'Winnow out' involves a selection process that keeps the best.

After reviewing all applications, we will winnow out the most promising candidates.
Quality Emphasis
'Winnow out' implies a focus on quality by discarding the less desirable.

The edit process helped us winnow out errors in the manuscript.
Reduction
The phrase suggests cutting down on quantity to improve quality or efficiency.

The company decided to winnow out excess product lines.
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