A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then a funny thing happened after I retired and began winnowing my stuff in earnest: The resulting tidiness begot more tidiness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Maybe at peak valuations these stocks were trading on a price-earnings multiples of 30-40 times, Lapping observes, but not after the winnowing caused by AI fears:
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
The winnowing of victims has been the result of byzantine legal procedures, strict vetting and tightened eligibility rules, which victims told ProPublica and the Inquirer took them by surprise.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
Ask DePetro why someone might prefer his content to the nightly news, and he’ll gesture toward the rapidly winnowing media industry.
From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2026
Everybody knew it was his mother, Kate, who saved him from affliction and the early winnowing that is every plantation slave’s first trial.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
