: the practice of selecting only the most healthy or valuable individuals in harvesting a natural resource (such as timber or fish)

Examples of high-grading in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Pizza is getting more popular, and so are hamburgers, made with high-grade wagyu beef. Adam Yamaguchi, CBS News, 14 June 2026 Shields recommends purchasing mop heads made from sturdy materials, such as high-grade cotton or microfiber. Lauren David, Southern Living, 22 May 2026 These investments leave sufficient money for Gary Works’ first direct-reduction furnace and additional equipment needed to convert the iron into high-grade steel. Lori Latham, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 Related Stories Across its various sections, the 79th Cannes festival features more than a dozen films that venture from science fiction to the supernatural to high-grade schlock and gore. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for high-grading

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-grading was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“High-grading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-grading. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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