Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Cull from, by, through, or in?

Cull most commonly combines with from when selecting or removing items from a larger group.

Quick answer

Common prepositions with cull

Use cull from for selecting or removing items from a group. Cull by can describe a method of selection. In, through, and on are usually separate adjuncts, not fixed combinations with cull.

The editor culled quotes from several interviews.
Applicants were culled by age group.
Farmers culled animals in the region last year.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
cull from + source

Selecting from a larger group

Use from for the source material or population.

Researchers culled data from public records.
2
cull by + criterion

Showing the method of selection

By introduces the criterion used to remove or select items.

The list was culled by category.
3
cull in + place

Showing where culling happens

In usually introduces location rather than forming a fixed phrase.

Officials culled deer in the forest.
4
cull through + material

Describing careful searching

Through can describe the process of examining many items.

She culled useful notes through hundreds of files.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
cull from
The museum culled items from private collections.
remove or select from a larger source
cull by
Candidates were culled by experience level.
sort or remove according to a criterion
cull in
They culled invasive fish in the lake.
in shows location
cull through
He culled facts through months of research.
describe a searching process; less fixed
cull on
The committee culled applications on Friday.
on introduces time, not a fixed verb pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using on as a fixed preposition

On usually adds time or surface information, not a standard pattern after cull.

✕ They culled on the database. ✓ They culled data from the database.

Confusing from and by

From introduces the source, while by introduces the method or criterion.

✕ The names were culled by the report. ✓ The names were culled from the report.

Using through for the source

Through describes process more than origin.

✕ She culled statistics through the archive. ✓ She culled statistics from the archive.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The journalist culled facts ___ court documents.
2. The entries were culled ___ difficulty level.
3. Officials culled animals ___ the national park.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

What does 'cull from' mean?

It means to select or remove items from a larger collection or group.

Is 'cull by' correct?

Yes. It is used when explaining the method or standard used for selection.

Can I use 'cull on'?

Not as a standard verb-preposition pattern. On usually adds time or surface information.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account