Meaning & use
process of elimination
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
a way of finding the answer by ruling out the choices that are impossible until only one remains
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; often after 'by': We found it by the process of elimination.
Patterns
- by the process of elimination
- use the process of elimination
- the process of elimination leaves something
We didn't know who took the last cookie, but by the process of elimination it had to be Ben.
The doctor used the process of elimination, testing for one disease after another until only one possibility was left.
In a multiple-choice test, the process of elimination can help you guess when you are not sure.
phrasefixed phrase
a situation in which people or things are removed one by one until only one is left
Grammar: Often used for competitions or teams: the process of elimination knocked out weaker players.
Patterns
- survive the process of elimination
- go through a process of elimination
The singing contest is really a process of elimination: each week the weakest performer goes home.
Through a long process of elimination, the committee finally chose a single design for the new library.
Common combinations
- by a process of elimination
- By a process of elimination, we figured out which key opened the back door.
- use the process of elimination
- When you are stuck, use the process of elimination to narrow down the options.
- a long process of elimination
- Finding the leak in the pipe was a long process of elimination.
- the process of elimination leaves
- After checking everyone's alibi, the process of elimination left only one suspect.
Synonyms and how they differ
- elimination
- Shorter but less clear on its own; 'process of elimination' makes the step-by-step method explicit.
- deduction
- Focuses on reasoning from known facts, while 'process of elimination' stresses removing wrong options.
Commonly confused: process of elimination or elimination process?
process of elimination vs elimination process
This is a more general phrase for any removal procedure, not specifically the logical method of ruling out answers.
Practice
We didn't know which road to take, so we found the right one ___ the process of elimination.
Choose one answer.
'By' introduces the method used: you do something by a process. 'With' would suggest a tool, and 'on' or 'for' do not fit this fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “process of elimination”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.