cull

verb

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\ ˈkəl

culled; culling; culls

Definition of cull

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to select from a group : choose culled the best passages from the poet's work Damaged fruits are culled before the produce is shipped.

2 : to reduce or control the size of (something, such as a herd) by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population. culling a herd of cattle also : to hunt or kill (individuals) for culling culling diseased cows culled hundreds of deer

cull

noun

Definition of cull (Entry 2 of 2)

: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless … how to separate good-looking pecans from culls. — The Washington Post

Other Words from cull Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cull

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Synonyms & Antonyms for cull

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Verb

Examples of cull in a Sentence

Verb He culls his herd annually. The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population. Noun the unbruised apples will be packed in bags, and the culls will be used for cider

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb While analysts and investors cull through the information in the company’s 416-page DRHP, this IPO is significant for many who are not even directly linked to Zomato. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, "An Indian tech unicorn is finally daring to do an IPO—despite the kinks in its financials," 29 Apr. 2021 Kelly, of Matteson, said a 60-member transition team looking at various aspects of party operations, fundraising and outreach will begin to cull through recommendations to guide the party’s future. — Rick Pearson, chicagotribune.com, "US Rep. Robin Kelly, new Illinois Democratic chair, promises stronger candidate recruitment in GOP strongholds," 8 Apr. 2021 Earlier this month, the discovery that the virus had spread back from mink to humans caused Denmark to decide to cull its entire population of mink. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Dutch scientists reconstruct spread of coronavirus through mink farms," 10 Nov. 2020 Scientists grew so concerned about a virus mutation in the animals in Denmark, which is one of the world’s largest fur producers, that the government made plans to cull every mink in the country. — Washington Post, "Great apes at the San Diego Zoo got coronavirus vaccines: ‘These animals are incredibly precious’," 5 Mar. 2021 If things seem strange, wait a bit, especially if your method is running Tweet Delete repeatedly to cull more than 3,200 tweets. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "You Should Probably Delete All of Your Old Tweets. Here's How to Do It.," 17 Mar. 2021 Because council had budgeted under its contract with the state agency to cull 60, Welo put a stop to the plan for further sharpshooting to take place. — cleveland, "ODNR sharpshooters have culled 31 of a planned 60 South Euclid deer," 22 Feb. 2021 This caused the Danish government to cull millions of minks as a precautionary measure. — David Hogberg, Washington Examiner, "New coronavirus strain found in the United Kingdom," 14 Dec. 2020 But unlike a bucket-list goat hunt, volunteers were allowed to cull yearlings and nannies to reduce the breeding population. — Outdoor Life, "National Parks Service Increasingly Calls on Hunters to Help Cull Non-Native Bison, Mountain Goats," 24 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Her ardent defense of animal rights was reported to have contributed to the government’s decision to halt a cull of badgers in Derbyshire, which contradicted the advice of scientists and veterinarians. — BostonGlobe.com, "Decorating scandal engulfs Boris Johnson and puts fiancée in spotlight," 2 May 2021 Denmark will dig up millions of dead mink after a hasty cull and burial intended to stamp out a coronavirus mutation ended with the rotting carcasses triggering a new contamination risk. — Morten Buttler, Fortune, "Denmark to exhume bodies of COVID-19 infected mink over contamination risk," 21 Dec. 2020 The government has been scrambling to bring in legislation to retroactively legalize the nationwide cull which is expected to pass Monday. — Washington Post, "After Denmark’s mink cull, questions over legality, science and what to do with ‘zombie minks’," 18 Dec. 2020 There is no suggestion Britain is planning any kind of widespread cull of passports. — NBC News, "As U.K. strips citizenship from ISIS members, other children of immigrants decry 'two tier' citizenship," 10 Mar. 2021 Denmark will dig up millions of dead mink after a hasty cull and burial intended to stamp out a coronavirus mutation ended with the rotting carcasses triggering a new contamination risk. — Morten Buttler, Fortune, "Denmark to exhume bodies of COVID-19 infected mink over contamination risk," 21 Dec. 2020 The social media giant’s global cull of Australian news hit not only media companies, but also a wide range of governmental organizations, including some state and local health departments and the Bureau of Meteorology. — Robert Whitehead, Time, "How Australia May Have Just Saved Journalism From Big Tech," 22 Feb. 2021 Farmers complained that a compensation agreement wasn’t in place when the cull began. — James Hookway, WSJ, "Denmark to Dig Up Millions of Dead Mink After Botched Covid-19 Cull," 21 Dec. 2020 Before the cull began, the country had three times as many minks as people. — Washington Post, "After Denmark’s mink cull, questions over legality, science and what to do with ‘zombie minks’," 18 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cull.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.