winnows
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present tense formof winnow (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
winnowverb (used with object)to free (grain) from the lighter particles of chaff, dirt, etc., especially by throwing it into the air and allowing the wind or a forced current of air to blow away impurities.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then the RNA winnows the contending olfactory-receptor genes down to one.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
It progressively winnows out starlight, and stacks frame after frame to allow any faint planetary light to accumulate and eventually be seen.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 10, 2021
For a typical client, she identifies 2,000 prospective names, then winnows that list to just a dozen or two, which she presents to the client — a rate lower than that of Harvard admissions.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 12, 2019
Evolution is blind and evolutionary progress is a misnomer; natural selection carves and winnows according to the ever-changing status quo.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2019
It winnows through the stones as we watch, bubbling into the undeserving earth.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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