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

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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
  • After carefully selecting specimens with reliable dates and locations, the team extracted DNA using techniques designed for highly degraded historical samples.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The latter curated the event, hand-selecting performers and often songs, also playing keyboards throughout the night.
    — Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of selecting
Verb
  • In fact, Myers Park Covenant’s interim senior minister, Tim Moore, believes that more newcomers to Charlotte than ever — especially younger ones — aren’t choosing churches based on denomination.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Upstate New York has no shortage of escape routes—charming inns, boutique hotels, and endless Airbnb gems—and choosing one is always the hardest part.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of choosing
Verb
  • 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
  • Austria has entered the 2027 Oscar race, picking the Sandra Hüller period drama Rose to represent the country in the best international feature category.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on culling

Nglish: Translation of culling for Spanish Speakers

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