culling

verb

present participle of cull
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

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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 The agency has dealt with homeowners illegally culling trees to improve their views in the past, but those are dwarfed by the scale of these poisonings, Cowen said. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 The Australian watchdog's claim, filed to the federal court Wednesday, said the unlimited broadcast size of Telegram channels meant the app must take responsibility for culling harmful material. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 That situation makes the roster culling an emotional topic for those whose list status has been questioned. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026 The country does currently have a shark culling program, but some are calling for the program’s expansion in light of recent attacks. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 14 July 2026 So what else can be lost alongside the military culling diversity from its ranks? — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culling
  1. selecting
  2. choosing
  3. picking
Verb
  • These are anonymous and set up similar to a dating profile, with users selecting their preference in letter types (short and casual versus longer and conversational) and answering one of a handful of prompts to get a conversation starting.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Operators increasingly weigh automation, operating costs and pilot workload when selecting aircraft.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of selecting
Verb
  • Reports had previously spread about Flick choosing another La Masia pearl in Jordi Pesquer.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Mourinho kept him on until the 79th minute, choosing instead to replace Bernardo and Guler in the 63rd minute, even though both appeared to have more energy left in the tank than Bellingham.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of choosing
Verb
  • Another help has been picking different parts of the ball to hit, Stott said — aiming toward the bottom when facing sinkerballers and the top against four-seam throwers.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The idea is that as an operator mimes picking up a pile of rocks, the arm would generate a force in response, as if the operator could feel the heaviness of the rocks, confirming that the excavator is indeed picking them up.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of picking

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culled
culling
culls
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Cite this Entry

“Culling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culling. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on culling

Nglish: Translation of culling for Spanish Speakers

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