絞る

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 絞る is read as しぼる and is a transitive verb for wringing liquid from an object or narrowing a set of choices.
• Basic usage: Use 布を絞る for the physical action and 候補を三つに絞る with に marking the resulting number.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Physical and abstract senses
  • Wringing cloth and narrowing candidates differ, but both involve reducing what remains to a more limited result.
• Result marked by に
  • In 三つに絞る, に marks the final set of three; the phrase does not mean physically squeezing three objects.