weed out
weed out
To remove one or multiple undesirable things from a group. A noun or pronoun can be used between "weed" and "out." The military uses stringent standards to weed out unqualified enlistees. We need to weed all of these bugs out before we go live.
See also: out, weed
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
weed someone or something out
Fig. to remove someone or something unwanted or undesirable from a group or collection. (Fig. on removing weeds from the soil.) We had to weed the less productive workers out one by one. The auditions were held to weed out the actors with the least ability. I'm going through my books to weed out those that I don't need anymore.
See also: out, weed
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
weed out
Eliminate as inferior, unsuited, or unwanted, as in She was asked to weed out the unqualified applicants. This expression transfers removing weeds from a garden to removing unwanted elements from other enterprises. [First half of 1500s]
See also: out, weed
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
weed out
v.
1. To remove some weeds: We weeded out the clover. The gardener weeded the dandelions out.
2. To separate or get rid of some unfit or undesirable part; eliminate someone or something: The interviewers weeded out most of the applicants. The coach weeded the weaker players out.
See also: out, weed
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- angle
- angling
- not do (someone or oneself) any favors
- involve with
- involve with (someone or something)
- involved with
- arch over
- arrange for
- arrange for some time
- arrange some music for