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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 culling
Germany banned chick culling back in 2022, even before commercially viable in-ovo sexing machines existed.
—
Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Last year, CargoWise and E2Open parent WiseTech Global announced a nearly 30 percent culling of its staff through 2027, overtly tying the job cuts to its deployments of AI technologies.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Mandarin Oriental is culling a portfolio of Exceptional Homes, which, while not necessarily linked to hotels, are appointed with amenities expected of the luxury brand.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026
The story has been decades in the making as the Colombian government tried multiple nonfatal methods of culling the hippo population, including neutering and relocating.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The Legislature did start culling license plates, eliminating those that didn’t sell well.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
The Lake County Forest Preserves proposed culling deer to balance nature, and there was some controversy.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
The winners include heartbreaking images of an elephant culling in Zimbabwe, a massive apartment fire in Hong Kong, and the devastating aftermath of drone attacks in Ukraine.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
Because not everyone on the island owns a rifle, men often work in groups to locate the animal that has been selected for culling.
—NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Last year, CargoWise and E2Open parent WiseTech Global announced a nearly 30 percent culling of its staff through 2027, overtly tying the job cuts to its deployments of AI technologies.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Mandarin Oriental is culling a portfolio of Exceptional Homes, which, while not necessarily linked to hotels, are appointed with amenities expected of the luxury brand.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026
The story has been decades in the making as the Colombian government tried multiple nonfatal methods of culling the hippo population, including neutering and relocating.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The Legislature did start culling license plates, eliminating those that didn’t sell well.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
The Lake County Forest Preserves proposed culling deer to balance nature, and there was some controversy.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
The winners include heartbreaking images of an elephant culling in Zimbabwe, a massive apartment fire in Hong Kong, and the devastating aftermath of drone attacks in Ukraine.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
Because not everyone on the island owns a rifle, men often work in groups to locate the animal that has been selected for culling.
—NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culling
Verb
-
Tossing a Tide pod inside your washing machine, selecting your preferred wash cycle, and pressing start sounds simple enough.—
Katelyn Chef,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
Leaders often devote significant attention to selecting the right platforms, tools, and vendors while overlooking the learning systems necessary to support adoption, experimentation, knowledge sharing, and workforce capability development.—
Michael Edmondson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
McCarthy doesn’t paint Alex and Ethan as perfect allies or perfect victims, instead choosing to explore the shortcomings in their friendship through mostly gender-neutral growing pains.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
-
Langley has recruited women to open for every date, choosing Gabriella Rose, Kaitlin Butts, Avery Anna, Laci Kaye Booth, and Madeline Edwards for the tour, which kicked off in May and concludes this August in, appropriately, Texas.—
Marissa R. Moss,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Its name comes from the fact that the fruit usually ripens and is ready for picking around this time of year.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
Callihan had trouble picking it up, allowing McCarthy to race around the bases and beat the relay throw home.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culling. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
