elimination

Everyday

1. Removing or getting rid of something completely. tree →
2. (sport, games, shows) Being knocked out of a competition. tree →
3. (maths, logic) Solving a problem by ruling out wrong answers one by one (process of elimination). tree →

In the lessons

In maths and logic puzzles you use the process of elimination; in sport and TV shows, rounds have eliminations; in health and science, the body gets rid of waste; phrases: «process of elimination», «elimination round», «the elimination of disease».

Examples

• By a process of elimination, we found who took the cake. tree →
• Our team lost in the elimination round. tree →
• The elimination of smallpox was a great success for science. tree →
• The quiz had a different elimination each week. tree →
• Cross off wrong answers: that is elimination. tree →
• The elimination of plastic straws helps the sea. tree →

Note

From eliminate. In maths: if three options are wrong, elimination tells you the fourth is right. In algebra, the «elimination method» removes a variable from equations.