ClearAll[f1, f2] f1 = Select[MemberQ[Tally /@ #, {_, 1}, All] &] @*Cases[{___,{(a_)..},___}] ; f2 = Pick[Cases[#, {___,{(a_)..},___}], MemberQ[#, {_, 1}, All]& /@ Map[Tally, #, {2}]] &; **Examples:** lst1 = {{{4}}, {{7, 7}, {7, 7}}, {{5, 5}, {6, 6}}, {{2, 1}, {1, 1}}}; f1 @ lst1 > {{{4}}, {{2, 1}, {1, 1}}} f2 @ lst1 > {{{4}}, {{2, 1}, {1, 1}}} lst2 = {{{3, 3}, {3, 2}}, {{1, 1, 1, 1}, {1, 2, 3, 0}, {1, 0, 0, 0}, {1, 0, 3, 2}}, {{1, 1, 1, 1, 1}, {1, 4, 3, 0, 4}, {1, 3, 3, 3, 0}, {1, 0, 3, 4, 4}, {1, 4, 0, 4, 4}}} ; f1 @ lst2 == f2 @lst2 ==lst2 > True