culled; culling; culls
1
: to select from a group : choose
culled the best passages from the poet's work
Damaged fruits are culled before the produce is shipped.
2
: to reduce or control the size of (something, such as a herd) by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals
The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.
culling a herd of cattle
also
: to hunt or kill (individuals) for culling
culling diseased cows
culled hundreds of deer
culler
noun
: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless
… how to separate good-looking pecans from culls.—
The Washington Post
The Washington PostSynonyms
Examples of cull in a Sentence
Verb
He culls his herd annually.
The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.
Noun
the unbruised apples will be packed in bags, and the culls will be used for cider
Recent Examples on the Web
Simon Shuster, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024
The flavors can be traced back to the weather of 2015, which delivered a wet spring followed by a dry and warm summer season, which impacted the fruit culled during that time.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024
Ryan Browne, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
The government said the cull was necessary to protect native plants and animals in the alpine wilderness, which are vulnerable to damage from large numbers of feral animals.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cull 
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Verb
If those institutions get culled amid the Muskian push for efficiency, the hardship will not be temporary for those who rely on government support.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024
The flavors can be traced back to the weather of 2015, which delivered a wet spring followed by a dry and warm summer season, which impacted the fruit culled during that time.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
British mobile giant Vodafone is to axe 11,000 jobs over three years in the latest cull to hit the tech sector, as new boss Margherita Della Valle slammed recent performance.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
The government said the cull was necessary to protect native plants and animals in the alpine wilderness, which are vulnerable to damage from large numbers of feral animals.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cull
Dictionary Entries Near cull
Cite this Entry
“Cull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cull. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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