What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
cull
Example
The farmer culled the weak and sickly chickens from the flock. [cull: verb]
Example
The manager decided to cull the underperforming employees from the team. [cull: verb]
select
Example
She selected the best apples from the basket to make a pie. [select: verb]
Example
The coach carefully selected the players for the starting lineup based on their performance in practice. [selected: past tense]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Select is more commonly used than cull in everyday language. Select is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while cull is less common and is typically used in specific industries such as agriculture or animal husbandry.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between cull and select?
While cull is typically associated with a more formal tone due to its specialized usage, select is more versatile and can be employed in both formal and informal contexts.