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 '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
In October 2022, Spotify, under pressure from investors to reduce costs, began culling its original podcast offerings, cancelling several Gimlet shows and laying off dozens of staffers.
—Eric Benson, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
For years, ranchers have been culling cows due to a combination of persistent drought and high costs, reducing the domestic inventory to its lowest level in several decades.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Now retired, Brown still co-produces the monthly True Tunes Podcast and is known to his Facebook followers for culling from his massive vinyl collection to be one of the most reliable playlist creators around, with a vast interest in all types of music.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
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
In October 2022, Spotify, under pressure from investors to reduce costs, began culling its original podcast offerings, cancelling several Gimlet shows and laying off dozens of staffers.
—Eric Benson, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
For years, ranchers have been culling cows due to a combination of persistent drought and high costs, reducing the domestic inventory to its lowest level in several decades.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Now retired, Brown still co-produces the monthly True Tunes Podcast and is known to his Facebook followers for culling from his massive vinyl collection to be one of the most reliable playlist creators around, with a vast interest in all types of music.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culling
Verb
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This year, the foundation received a tenfold increase in applications for its Local Grand Program, selecting 10 winners out of a field of 2,500 nonprofits to receive a total of $250,000 in funding.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Oct. 2025
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Plenty of shrubs love full sun, but selecting shrubs that do well in shade conditions can be tricky.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some families are choosing to forgo internet and cell service on vacation to encourage more quality time.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The United States may be choosing to step back.—
Sergio Alonso Fernández de Córdova y de Veyga,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Those who live in the South know all too well the struggles of picking the right clothes to wear in the fall, when mornings are crisp and cool but days are still warm and toasty.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
14 Oct. 2025
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There has been some rainfall, but generally dry conditions have supported picking.—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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