funnel
Americannoun
-
funnels
plural
-
a cone-shaped utensil with a tube at the apex for conducting liquid or other substance through a small opening, as into a bottle, jug, or the like.
-
a smokestack, especially of a steamship.
-
a flue, tube, or shaft, as for ventilation.
-
Eastern New England. a stovepipe.
verb (used with object)
-
funnels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
funneled,
past participle, past
-
funnelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
funneling,
present participle
-
funnelling
present participle (especially British)
-
to concentrate, channel, or focus.
They funneled all income into research projects.
-
to pour through or as if through a funnel.
verb (used without object)
-
funnels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
funneled,
past participle, past
-
funnelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
funneling,
present participle
-
funnelling
present participle (especially British)
noun
-
a hollow utensil with a wide mouth tapering to a small hole, used for pouring liquids, powders, etc, into a narrow-necked vessel
-
something resembling this in shape or function
-
a smokestack for smoke and exhaust gases, as on a steamship or steam locomotive
-
a shaft or tube, as in a building, for ventilation
verb
-
to move or cause to move or pour through or as if through a funnel
-
to concentrate or focus or be concentrated or focused in a particular direction
they funnelled their attention on the problem
-
(intr) to take on a funnel-like shape
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
funnelsimple
-
funnelssimple
-
have funneledperfect
-
have funnelledperfect
-
has funneledperfect
-
has funnelledperfect
-
am funnelingprogressive
-
am funnellingprogressive
-
are funnelingprogressive
-
are funnellingprogressive
-
is funnelingprogressive
-
is funnellingprogressive
-
have been funnelingperfect progressive
-
have been funnellingperfect progressive
-
has been funnelingperfect progressive
-
has been funnellingperfect progressive
Past
-
funneledsimple
-
funnelledsimple
-
had funneledperfect
-
had funnelledperfect
-
was funnelingprogressive
-
was funnellingprogressive
-
were funnelingprogressive
-
were funnellingprogressive
-
had been funnelingperfect progressive
-
had been funnellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of funnel
1375–1425; late Middle English fonel < Old Provençal fonilh ( Gascon ) < Vulgar Latin *fundibulum, for Latin infundibulum, derivative of infundere to pour in
Explanation
The cone-shaped tool you use to pour liquid into a small hole is a funnel. The swirling winds of a tornado make the shape of a funnel. This is why they are called funnel clouds. You can also use the word metaphorically to describe something that goes from wide to narrow while moving. If six lanes of traffic must funnel through a tunnel, you'll probably see a traffic jam. And if you photographed the scene from above, the cars would make a triangular shape, as if they formed a flat funnel. If a company is funneling money into research and development, it is spending lots of money in that department. Funnel cake is made by pouring batter through a funnel in to hot oil. Yum!
Vocabulary lists containing funnel
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pestle, Sieve, and Whisk: Useful Words for Cooking Tools
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Seedfolks
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
These areas are used to strong winds at this time of year but if the windy conditions funnel through the central lowlands there could be some disruption.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
With funnel cakes in the shape of her beloved butterfly and fashion exhibits with eye-popping heels and wigs, Dolly Parton’s theme park has history, entertainment, reverence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The recent crackdown is meant to funnel Chinese individual investors into licensed platforms inside the country where people can trade on China’s domestic stock exchanges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
He said that investors want to see evidence that Adobe’s “freemium” funnel will translate to durable paid-subscriber growth, and not weaken the pricing power for its premium offerings.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The ship looked desolate there upon her side, with no one on her decks, and her thin black funnel pointing to the shore.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
In Canada, home to 31 private technology companies each valued at more than $1 billion, the federal government funnels money into leading-edge research and welcomes skilled immigrants to conduct it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
A more moderate Santa Ana wind event typically funnels gusts through canyons, but isn’t powerful enough to climb mountains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
Palantir began as a defense contractor and has since found other customers selling a platform that funnels data into simple dashboards that use artificial intelligence to aid decision-making.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025
"When it comes to the corridor, it funnels right through," says Ms Hammar, who has gone to the hospital twice because of the way the gas "feels like its squeezing your heart".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
He makes a collection of the boat funnels from the lake freighters, checking them through binoculars.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
In 2003, McLeod’s patrons funneled more than $100,000 through The Fellowship to compensate him.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026
Those institutional orders will get funneled through S&P Global’s Equity Bookbuild platform.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
This evolution was thanks to a daring business move from Huang, who funneled the profits Nvidia generated from its gaming business to develop a software layer called Compute Unified Device Architecture, or CUDA.
From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026
It funneled demand exclusively through the bricks-and-mortar stores.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
So German agents funneled money to Indian immigrants in the United States, who used it to fund a revolt in their home country.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have funnelled billions to position themselves as regional AI and technology hubs, aiming to attract high-skilled talent.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
When City had the ball, United's 4-4-2 funnelled them into wide areas, where they defended with four players.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026
Instead of hiding away, Jenny funnelled her anger into training to become a journalist to uncover the truth for herself.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
Rijkenberg told parliament the money received from the United States was funnelled into the account of Eswatini's disaster agency, NDMA.
From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025
Once more I funnelled my hands and answered them.
From A Crime of the Under-seas by Guy Newell Boothby
By funneling income and investment toward export industries and away from consumers, this depresses consumption and expands the current account surplus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
It seems there is possibly a second sponsor, Daktronics, that is funneling money to Kawhi Leonard for doing nothing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Anthropic, despite its push to source as much compute as possible, may decide to stop funneling its cash to a rival.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
Prosecutors allege that Rowan and his co-conspirators concealed the kickbacks by using fake invoices and shell companies to inflate Medicare reimbursements while funneling payments to medical providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
I moved along with a big crowd of kids, circling the main building and funneling into the wooden walkways that led to the portables.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
He said high pressure over Europe was funnelling hot air north from northern Africa, with the weather system hindering cloud formation.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Alliance Party councillor Jill Truesdale also lives in the area and described seeing the water "funnelling down the mountain".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2025
Helsinki says Moscow is funnelling them to the border, a charge the Kremlin denies.
From Reuters ● Nov. 24, 2023
In funnelling the money into the industry, the French government aims to stop "prices collapsing... so that wine-makers can find sources of revenue again", Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau said.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2023
Then the funnelling wind tore the pinnacled rock tops clear of the billowing mist.
From The Freebooters of the Wilderness by Agnes C. (Agnes Christina) Laut
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
