as in selecting
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
culled the best short stories from the author's body of writings
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Recent Examples of culling
The situation is so bleak that one SNAP-reliant tribal reservation in Montana has resorted to culling its buffalo herd for food.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
After some pink-slipping and culling (hello, Stephen Colbert) by the previous Shari Redstone regime, Ellison’s Skydance did receive quick regulatory approval of the $8 billion Paramount purchase once the corporate scalpings were done.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
What jobs were lost, and how would the culling impact visitors’ experience during the busy summer?
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Oct. 2025
Internally, more tech companies like Amazon and Meta are culling their diversity programs.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The 'Roadblocks' Hegseth in February fired the top uniformed lawyers, culling the armed forces' most senior ports of call for advice on whether orders are legal.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
It's also been culling its footprint of Go cashierless convenience stores.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Culver briefly covered women’s clubs until becoming the paper’s religion editor, a role that largely entailed culling wire copy and posting notices about church meetings.
—Susan Greene, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
But Kennedy has already propagated an insidious revolution within the agencies under his control, using a playbook familiar to illiberal leaders—culling expertise, silencing critics, and weaponizing administrative procedure to grant a veneer of legitimacy to his actions.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
After some pink-slipping and culling (hello, Stephen Colbert) by the previous Shari Redstone regime, Ellison’s Skydance did receive quick regulatory approval of the $8 billion Paramount purchase once the corporate scalpings were done.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
What jobs were lost, and how would the culling impact visitors’ experience during the busy summer?
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Oct. 2025
Internally, more tech companies like Amazon and Meta are culling their diversity programs.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The 'Roadblocks' Hegseth in February fired the top uniformed lawyers, culling the armed forces' most senior ports of call for advice on whether orders are legal.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
It's also been culling its footprint of Go cashierless convenience stores.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Culver briefly covered women’s clubs until becoming the paper’s religion editor, a role that largely entailed culling wire copy and posting notices about church meetings.
—Susan Greene, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
But Kennedy has already propagated an insidious revolution within the agencies under his control, using a playbook familiar to illiberal leaders—culling expertise, silencing critics, and weaponizing administrative procedure to grant a veneer of legitimacy to his actions.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culling
Verb
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Valentini praised the team behind the auction houses and highlighted their involvement in the process of selecting the lots.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
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The government responded by establishing a new facility in California and selecting the site under a committee chaired by aviator Charles Lindbergh.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
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But that goes back to choosing whether to make the right decision or the wrong.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Concerned that Barack Obama was running away with the race, John McCain made an impulsive gamble, boldly picking the largely unknown Alaska governor Sarah Palin.—
Time,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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In a sneak peek video into Season 12, the cast of employees at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant sets the stage for some dramatic pumping, partying, and picking sides.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culling. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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