What Does "Thin the Herd" Mean?
"Thin the herd" is an English idiom suggesting the reduction of a group's size or number, often through natural selection or deliberate actions.Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "thin the herd" used in a sentence:- In the wild, predators thin the herd by targeting weaker or sick animals.
- During economic downturns, some companies may need to thin the herd by laying off employees.
- To improve the team's performance, the coach decided to thin the herd by selecting the best players.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Thin the Herd" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
A Quick Test
You now know what "thin the herd" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
Gold
Silver
Bronze
- This test has questions.
- A correct answer is worth 5 points.
- You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
- Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
- Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
- 🏆 If you beat one of the top 3 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System
Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
