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

Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a person whose body was found floating in a canal in Dania Beach on Monday morning, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Water authorities trying to maintain adequate supplies of fresh water have banned farmers in some parts of the country from pumping water out of canals to irrigate their crops. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Governments can then make decisions based on the resulting risk maps, such as prioritising patrols and fire bans in high-risk areas, and blocking drainage canals to rewet peatlands and raise groundwater levels before a fire starts. — Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026

This town in southern Japan was a key rice distribution center in the Edo Period (1603–1867) thanks to a network of transport canals. — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026