cull 1 of 2

noun

Definition of cullnext
as in discard
something separated from a group or lot for not being as good as the others the unbruised apples will be packed in bags, and the culls will be used for cider

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

cull

2 of 2

verb

ˈkəl How to pronounce cull (audio)
as in to select
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities culled the best short stories from the author's body of writings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cull
Noun
Officials have adopted a road map for bear population management that calls for systematic culls. — ABC News, 9 June 2026 Toka was born in Mozambique and was captured as an orphan at 2 years old after her mother was killed in a cull, her rescuers said. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 29 May 2026
Verb
Sort through the manuals and cull the ones that have become obsolete because the appliance or gadget is long gone. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2026 But a footnote says facial recognition searches are allowed with still images culled from the cameras. — Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cull
  1. discard
  2. select
  3. second
  4. choose
  5. reject
  6. pick
  7. take
Noun
  • And defunct iIndustry supplied artistic entrepreneurs with adaptable real-estate discards, like London’s Bankside Power Station, which evolved into Herzog & de Meuron’s Tate Modern.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
  • Wilted cilantro is safe to eat but may lack flavor and texture; discard leaves that are slimy, discolored, or have a foul odor.
    — Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
Definition of discard
Verb
  • And word has it, it was actually selected by JFK’s father, Joe Sr.
    — Freya Drohan, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe all the more so since cornerbacks Delane, selected sixth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Sneed have yet to be full participants in practice.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of select
Noun
  • The suit centered on a seconds-long clip of surveillance video featured in the documentary showing Andrews returning absentee ballots for himself and four family members at a drop box before the 2020 election.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That was because the player being replaced — match-winner Will Lankshear — took more than 10 seconds to depart while applauding the supporters.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of second
Verb
  • Well-known for his penmanship of the Ferrari Enzo over 25 years ago, Japanese designer Ken Okuyama chose the glamorous surroundings of Monterey Car Week to unveil his latest—and perhaps most ambitious—creation, the Kode89.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Election officials are reminding voters that Election Day voting differs from early voting because voters cannot simply choose any polling location.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of choose
Noun
  • And both the immune and eliminated designers are high on their own power; Elizabeth, in particular, is acting mighty haughty for a woman whose ruffled scarlet satin dress looks like a reject from the Westworld costume department.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • The most opinionated of these rejects is Smarty Pants, a basic toilet-training tech tool given an amusingly snarky attitude by Conan O’Brien.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • Backstage, Kenny Omega calls the Don Callis Family bullies and tells them to pick any three members to face him and The Young Bucks, who are standing beside Omega, next week.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church members who are facing off in court over control of the College Station congregation will meet Monday to determine the process for picking who gets to preach.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • In January, Manchester City’s signings of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, the best players at Bournemouth and Crystal Palace respectively, took the 2025-26 tally to 13.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The animals are safe, but their home took a direct hit that left parts of the zoo unrecognizable.
    — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of take

Browse Nearby Words

culinarians
cull
culled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cull. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cull

Nglish: Translation of cull for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All