funnel 1 of 2

as in to direct
to cause to move to a central point or along a restricted pathway funneled endless time and money into his misguided pet project

Synonyms & Similar Words

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funnel

2 of 2

noun

as in tube

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 funnel
Verb
In the wake of Aquino’s assassination, a Mercury News investigative team — Katherine Ellison, Peter Carey, Lewis Simons and editor Jonathan Krim — pursued a tip that revealed billions in Philippine public funds had been funneled into the U.S., mostly in real estate holdings for the Marcos family. Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025 Instead, Democrats—backed by the governor—ignored it, choosing to funnel money into higher education. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
Courtesy: Fondazione Prada The exhibition space is structured in an optical funnel, composed of tables resembling drafting desks, each dedicated to an author. Photovogue, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025 By the end, the film’s glittery delirium funnels into a meta-inquiry of cinephilia itself, and the gender politics that run through it. Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for funnel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for funnel
Verb
  • The play, directed by Kenny Leon, is scheduled to open March 23.
    Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
  • After California directed its public employees to work from home to limit the spread of COVID-19, the state paid those public servants stipends beginning October 2021 to help cover expenses workers needed to do their jobs remotely, such as the internet.
    William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • But the pontiff never required a tracheal tube to keep his airway open.
    Emma Bowman, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Schoonover says that his insurer refused to pay $8,000 for ear tubes to treat his one-year-old’s recurring ear infections—a treatment doctors said was medically necessary, but the insurer said was not.
    Alana Semuels, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Westfalia Americas Helping to manage those gas and electric systems and appliances, along with the plumbing system piped to the 145-L fresh water tank, the innovative Firefly touchscreen offers seamless, smart home-grade control from a single central screen.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Mar. 2025
  • With ocean views, this open-air Italian restaurant serves piping hot pizzas and calzones from the oven.
    Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • But the goal is to accept, process, and channel your anger instead of ramping it up, Stewart says.
    Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The album cover itself, an oil painting by the artist Will St. John, channels the kind of art that might be hanging on the walls.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This money gets siphoned off, reducing funds for legitimate needs or increasing borrowing, fueling inflation by injecting cash without corresponding output.
    Michael Khouw, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Americans know the federal government is squandering too many of their dollars on low-return programs, allowing too much of their money to be siphoned off by grifters and supporting too many leeches who are bleeding taxpayers dry.
    Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Simpson, 90, isn’t worthy of carrying their luggage — not theirs, not anyone else’s on the list.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Properties in special flood hazard areas, for example, will often be required to carry flood insurance.
    Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The interview was conducted in a mixture of English and Low German, a dialect widely spoken within the Christian Mennonite community.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
  • These characters are then authorized to conduct what would otherwise be prohibited activities.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As a response to this, in the 1960s, the city added more concrete, channelizing the river in the hopes of getting runoff away from neighborhoods to Lake Michigan as fast as possible.
    Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Austin and San Antonio have dammed, altered, channelized, buried and otherwise manipulated their creeks and rivers.
    Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Mar. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Funnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/funnel. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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