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to select out

to select out

1 4.4
To choose some items from a group and separate them from others
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : seleccionar
  • You should select out the relevant data from the large dataset for your analysis.

I thought we stopped changing and evolving because we are no longer being selected out of the gene pool.

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Examples

  • The fruit is unloaded into a destemmer, and from there it goes onto a sorting table to select out any MOG.

    Blog text (13)
  • The researchers needed to select out the faulty samples to ensure accurate results.

  • If you select out the winners, you leave mostly losers.

    Academic text (2005)
  • So they can select out the edible things in the water.

  • Mostly pieces of stems that the destemmer did not select out.

    Blog text (13)
  • Using data on the percentage of parliamentarians who are women from this list, I selected out 18 Western democracies.

    Blog text (8)
  • And this essentially is you selecting out the fittest so that you have a better chance of having a healthy and strong crop the next year.

  • It selects out those who are likely to pay—surely the most important people to the band.

    Blog text (29)
  • During the quality check, the staff must select out any defective items from the production line.

Synonyms

to pick
vsto select out
1.0

To choose carefully from a group

focuses on separating specific items rather than only careful identification
to select
vsto select out
823 2.5

To choose someone or something from a group

is broader and can mean identifying items without judging suitability
to pick out
vsto select out
237 2.0

Choose one person or thing from a group

often separates marked items physically or mentally from the rest
to winnow
vsto select out
8 8.3

To choose the most important parts from a larger group

identifies items rather than keeping only the top ones
to pick over
vsto select out
2 3.6

To look through items carefully to choose the best or remove bad ones

often indicates separating items without extended careful examination
to cull out
vsto select out
1 7.1

To choose the best items from a larger group and remove them

focuses on separating items rather than removing marked ones
to sieve out
vsto select out
1 5.3

Remove unwanted bits from food or material by passing them through a screen

uses general identification and separation rather than physical filtering
comb-out
vsto select out
7.0

Removing unwanted people or things from a group

is broader and can mean identifying desirable items rather than only eliminating unwanted ones

Antonyms

130 2.7

To throw something away because you no longer want or need it

How Carefully

to isolate
256 4.2
to select out
1 4.4
to choose
1.0
to pick out
237 2.0

Surface Forms

select out infinitive
selected out past participle
selecting out present participle
selects out third person singular

Morphology

select + out

The verb 'select' (to choose) combined with the particle 'out' suggests choosing items by separating them from a group, a compositional pattern seen in many English particle verbs (e.g., 'pick out', 'weed out'). However, the separative/particle sense of 'out' is a specialized usage beyond the basic spatial meaning of 'out' and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Select out gives a simple picture: imagine you select a few apples and move them out of a full basket onto the table. That's why select out means 'to choose and separate' particular items from a group.