cannibalize

verb

can·​ni·​bal·​ize ˈka-nə-bə-ˌlīz 

cannibalized; cannibalizing

transitive verb

1

a

: to take salvageable parts from (something, such as a disabled machine) for use in building or repairing another machine

b

: to make use of (a part taken from one thing) in building, repairing, or creating something else

2

: to deprive of an essential part or element in creating or sustaining another facility or enterprise

the energy system has begun cannibalizing the economic system it is supposed to fuel

—Barry Commoner

3

: to use or draw on material of (another writer, an earlier work, etc.)

a biography that cannibalizes previous biographies

4

: to take (sales) away from an existing product by selling or being sold as a similar but new product usually from the same manufacturer

also : to affect (something, such as an existing product) adversely by cannibalizing sales

5

astronomy, of a celestial object : to incorporate mass from (a nearby object) through gravitational attraction

But some stellar black holes make themselves known because they exist in a binary systems as the companion to a normal star, which they are cannibalizing.

—John Noble Wilford

intransitive verb

1

: to practice cannibalism

2

: to cannibalize one unit for the sake of another of the same kind

cannibalization

ˌka-nə-bə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Did you know?

During World War II, military personnel often used salvageable parts from disabled vehicles and aircraft to repair other vehicles and aircraft. This sacrifice of one thing for the sake of another of its kind must have reminded some folks of cannibalism by humans and animals because the process came to be known as cannibalizing. The armed forces of this time were also known to cannibalize—that is, to take away personnel from—units to build up other units. It didn't take long for this military slang to become civilianized. Since its demobilization, the term has been used in a variety of contexts.

Examples of cannibalize in a Sentence

He cannibalized one washing machine to fix another.

Many parts of the engine were cannibalized from older cars.

Recent Examples on the Web

In other words, there's plenty that Apple could upgrade here without cannibalizing sales of the mainstream Series 11 watch. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025

Roller Hockey International, for example, launched in 1993 and folded five years later after expanding too rapidly, cannibalizing its national sponsorships and losing its ESPN TV deal. —Justin Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Doing it that way gives Netflix the opportunity to eventize the film on a premium format for those who want it, all without cannibalizing the audience that would watch it at home. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025

The rise of sports gambling hasn’t cannibalized existing casino revenue. —Ethan Hylton, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for cannibalize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

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Kids Definition

cannibalize

verb

can·​ni·​bal·​ize ˈkan-ə-bə-ˌlīz 

cannibalized; cannibalizing

: to take apart a machine for parts to be used as replacements in other machines