winnow
to separate the valuable from the worthless by careful sifting
Word origin: From Old English windwian, to fan or expose to wind.
Winnow in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing winnow in a sentence.
The committee winnowed hundreds of applicants down to a final five.
The committee had to winnow hundreds of applications down to a shortlist of five finalists.
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
Far from being the revolutionary thinker his admirers claimed, the philosopher was in fact quite blank, defending the traditional doctrines of his teachers without challenge.
Using “winnow” well
To winnow is to separate the valuable from the worthless by careful sifting, drawn from blowing chaff away from grain. It is the opposite of combining or muddling things together.
More GRE words starting with W
to speak or write evasively without committing to a clear position
playfully roguish or mischievously humorous
to indulge oneself excessively in a state or emotion
pale and sickly in appearance, suggesting weakness or weariness
a strong, restless desire to travel and explore the world
to decrease gradually in size, strength, or importance
marked by reckless cruelty or a deliberate disregard for restraint
to sing with trilling, modulated notes
Questions about “winnow”
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