to winnow down
2
6.5
- phrasal verb
- /ˈwɪnoʊ daʊn/
:
reducir
- Because once you winnow down what the true issues are and the true differences are between the experts, then that ought to give you a yardstick as to where you need to focus.
- winnow down the list
- winnow down their choices
Examples
-
To find the best candidates, the hiring manager winnowed down the applications to just ten.
-
After reviewing all the options, she decided to winnow down her choices for vacation spots to two.
-
It was supposed to just winnow down existing practice to a smaller, consistent set.
Blog text (25) -
The singer recorded over 300 fully arranged songs before winnowing down the album to seventeen.
Academic text (2017) -
It was hard to winnow our summer reading down to just a few picks, as many excellent titles passed through our hands over the past few months.
Blog text (7) -
He took offers for 429, the space next door, from budding restaurateurs, and reality-show style, winnowed 16 proposals down to one.
Blog text (9) -
If your HR department can't winnow down resumes to a manageable number for your position or you're not willing to spend real time on the ones that come to you, I've got to question your company's statements about how central people are to its success.
Blog text (5) -
We found 1,034 articles that matched our keyword entries, and after various exclusions, we winnowed this number down to 16 articles that contained adequate data regarding audiometric evaluation and follow-up.
Academic text (2006) -
At the meeting, we winnowed down the project proposals to the most feasible ones.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To choose carefully from a group
823
2.5
To choose someone or something from a group
129
3.5
Make a list of choices smaller until only a few remain
10
5.1
To make a list or group smaller by removing items over time
8
8.3
To choose the most important parts from a larger group
5
4.6
To pass information or choices from higher levels to lower ones so more people get them
1
7.1
Remove people or things from a group because they are not suitable
1
7.1
To choose the best items from a larger group and remove them
1
4.6
Take the best people or things from a group, leaving the rest behind
To choose the best people or things from a group
Antonyms
How Selective
Surface Forms
Morphology
winnow + down
The verb 'winnow' already encodes the idea of separating and removing less desirable items, and the particle 'down' simply specifies reduction to a smaller number; the combined meaning is directly compositional from the parts. Even though 'winnow' is somewhat less frequent, a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer 'winnow down' means to reduce or narrow a list by eliminating options.
Etymology
Winnow down comes from an old farm method: to winnow is to throw grain into the air so the wind blows away the light bits and the heavy grain falls down. So, winnow down now means 'to reduce' a large group by getting rid of the less useful options until only the best remain.