淘汰 (táo tài) is a verb meaning 'to eliminate' or 'to phase out' — typically referring to removing something or someone deemed inferior, outdated, inefficient, or unsuitable from a group, process, or system. The character 淘 (táo) originally means 'to wash silt from sand', evoking the idea of separating valuable elements from waste; 汰 (tài) means 'to remove impurities' or 'to discard'. Together, they form a compound emphasizing selective removal based on standards or performance.

This word is commonly used in competitive, technical, or biological contexts — such as sports competitions (e.g., teams eliminated from a tournament), industrial upgrades (e.g., phasing out old machinery), or natural selection (e.g., less-adapted species being eliminated). It carries a neutral-to-formal tone and often implies an objective, rule-based process rather than arbitrary dismissal.