winnow up
C1 neutral inseparable both
In simple words
To sort through things so the best ones come to the top.
Literal meaning: The upward movement in the winnowing process where grain separates from chaff.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
neutral
For the best candidates or ideas to rise and become prominent through a filtering or competitive process.
"The accelerator programme was designed to winnow up the most promising start-ups from the region."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Very rare. Not found in standard dictionaries. Mirrors the agricultural image of winnowing where the good grain falls while chaff blows away — 'winnow up' focuses on the rising of quality rather than the removal of the inferior. May appear in specialised or poetic usage.
Commonly used with
talent quality ideas candidates
Forms
Base
winnow up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
winnows up
he/she/it
Past simple
winnowed up
yesterday
Past participle
winnowed up
have + pp
-ing form
winnowing up
continuous
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