Wiktionary
winkle out
vb. 1 (context British English) to acquire something or someone with difficulty 2 to get something or someone out of entrenched position
WordNet
winkle out
v. force from a place or position; "The committee winkled out the unqualified candidates"
remove or displace from a position [syn: winkle]
Usage examples of "winkle out".
The Cridi adored symphonies, folk music, stage musicals, operetta, plainchant, and whatever else she could winkle out of the nooks and crannies of her memory.
My surfers will winkle out the truth about Rappaccini eventually, but it all takes time, and time is the great enemy.
Andrew shook his head, and blinked eyes that burned as he squinted at the stranger's face, trying to winkle out the sense of what he was hearing.