canalled or canaled; canalling or canaling
: to construct a canal through or across
Examples of canal in a Sentence
Noun
the Panama Canal opened a much easier and shorter passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Recent Examples on the Web
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The problem started with a canal leak, but even though that's been fixed, water restrictions could delay refilling beyond the city's May 1 goal.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
While the canal itself was commissioned in 1802 by Napoleon I to bring fresh water into the city, the vibe is distinctly contemporary with some of Paris's hottest restaurants, cafés and bars scattered alongside it.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
In flood-prone Gowanus, where wastewater has a tendency to surface on sidewalks and streets during storms, absorbent ground was installed more than a decade ago in the form of Sponge Park, a rain garden that the landscape architect Susannah Drake created along the canal.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
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Noun
Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The problem started with a canal leak, but even though that's been fixed, water restrictions could delay refilling beyond the city's May 1 goal.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
While the canal itself was commissioned in 1802 by Napoleon I to bring fresh water into the city, the vibe is distinctly contemporary with some of Paris's hottest restaurants, cafés and bars scattered alongside it.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
In flood-prone Gowanus, where wastewater has a tendency to surface on sidewalks and streets during storms, absorbent ground was installed more than a decade ago in the form of Sponge Park, a rain garden that the landscape architect Susannah Drake created along the canal.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for canal
Cite this Entry
“Canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canal. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
canal
noun
ca·nal
kə-ˈnal 
: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct see alimentary canal, Haversian canal, inguinal canal
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