Synonyms of canal

canal

noun

kə-ˈnal 

as in aqueduct

an open man-made passageway for water

the Panama Canal opened a much easier and shorter passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aqueduct
• waterway
• river
• watercourse
• conduit
• flume
• racecourse
• raceway
• channel
• course
• gutter
• spillway
• sluice
• floodway
• stream
• millrace
• millstream
• torrent
• sluiceway
• trough
• rivulet
• tideway
• swash

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of canal

Authorities have also begun to reduce the daily number of ships that can transit the canal. — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Amid concerns of a further reduction in precipitation and runoff, the canal operator has already imposed multiple draft restrictions for larger Neopanamax vessels to limit the amount of freight carried through the channel. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

According to the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington, blue spaces are natural or man-made outdoor settings that feature water in the form of rivers, lakes, oceans, ponds, canals or urban fountains. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The canal, which opened in 1914, cuts thousands of miles from journeys between the east and west coasts of both North and South America, as well as between Europe and Asia. — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026