winnow

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win|now /w'ɪnoʊ/ (winnows winnowing winnowed)
[VERB] V n
If you winnow a group of things or people, you reduce its size by separating the ones that are useful or relevant from the ones that are not. (LITERARY)
Administration officials have winnowed the list of candidates to three.winnow out
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P n (not pron)
If you winnow out part of a group of things or people, you identify the part that is not useful or relevant and the part that is. (WRITTEN)
The committee will need to winnow out the nonsense and produce more practical proposals if it is to achieve results...
Time has winnowed out certain of the essays as superior.

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