funnel 1 of 2

Definition of funnelnext
as in to direct
to cause to move to a central point or along a restricted pathway funneled endless time and money into his misguided pet project

Synonyms & Similar Words

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funnel

2 of 2

noun

as in tube

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of funnel
Verb
Cherfilus-McCormick and a campaign staffer allegedly funneled some of the funds to friends and relatives, who donated it back to her campaign disguised as their own personal contributions. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026 In addition to the United Democracy Project’s contributions, several major individual donors also funneled money to the two super PACs, each of which has given to AIPAC or United Democracy Project in recent years, according to campaign finance records. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
The funnel suite and complementary Loft Suite, a nearly 8,000-square-foot duplex on decks 9 and 10, reflect a broader emphasis on flexible, residential-style layouts. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026 That’s because there has been a funnel of talent toward the top. Cj Moore, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for funnel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for funnel
Verb
  • They have been seen directing snaking security lines and passing out water bottles to tired travelers.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Neighbors said King retaliated by erecting a floodlight directed at the neighbor’s house, along with blasting loud music.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • During the procedure, a catheter, or tiny flexible tube, is inserted into a blood vessel and snaked into the heart to view the coronary and/or pulmonary arteries up close.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Pemberton went to Paris and to expert Baschet musician Thomas Bloch to record the ‘40s-era organ made of glass tubes of varying length, played with wet fingertips.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Allow mixture to soften to piping consistency.
    Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Several projects slated to pipe fuel into the region from as far as Texas and the Midwest are yet to reach a final investment decision.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Frisco Wakeland girls soccer team is channeling grief into purpose this season, honoring their teammate after her tragic death while making a powerful run at another state title.
    Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • After more than two decades, Carter said she’s found a way to live alongside the pain of losing her daughter, and to channel it into purpose by advocating on behalf of missing children in Tennessee and around the country.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The public funding may not be siphoned out of library budgets, but shortfalls have to be covered somehow.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
  • In reality, unused assets quietly siphon income.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The men, ranging in age from twenty-nine to sixty-four, carried rucksacks containing the few items that they were allowed to bring.
    Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • For a Nets team that has watched too many games slip in the same way, the early minutes of the fourth carried a familiar warning.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Two advisers to Qatar told me that Global Risk had also conducted background checks and written reports on people linked to campaigns criticizing Qatar; corporate-intelligence firms often provide such open-source research.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • White, the neonatologist who stopped enrolling patients in the study, defended the decision to conduct it.
    David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Upstream from Upper Klamath Lake, a key tributary was channelized and wetlands drained, resulting in massive amounts of phosphorus flowing into the Upper Klamath Lake and, eventually, the lower river.
    Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • The Army Corps of Engineers channelized and paved the once-meandering river.
    Emma Bowman, NPR, 17 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Funnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/funnel. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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