Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But decades of widespread hunting and habitat loss have winnowed their numbers in the United States to fewer than a hundred individuals, which now roam the thorny scrublands of South Texas.
From National Geographic ● Oct. 5, 2023
Since the investigation began, officials have winnowed down the number of suspects who might be responsible, according to a person with knowledge of the probe who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 13, 2023
Although his hopes of winning the nomination have winnowed considerably since the primary voting began, Carson has supplanted Sen. Lindsey Graham, perhaps unintentionally, as the wild card in the prime-time debates.
From MSNBC ● Feb. 26, 2016
Since Jan. 5, Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. of Federal District Court and lawyers for both sides have winnowed down an initial pool of 1,373 prospective jurors to 75 who are provisionally qualified to serve.
From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2015
The wings of dreams have winnowed and withered that cheek as they passed over it.
From Renaissance in Italy, Volume 1 (of 7) The Age of the Despots by John Addington Symonds
