cannibalize

verb

can·​ni·​bal·​ize ˈka-nə-bə-ˌlīz How to pronounce cannibalize (audio)
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 fuelBarry 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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is a major difference from GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can cause the body to cannibalize lean mass, including muscle and bone. New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025 Remember when there was widespread fear that AI would cannibalize Google Search? Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 Ducatillion described the agreement with Pimkie and the promotion of Lhomme as a smokescreen to make the company appear supportive of the textiles and fashion industry, while simultaneously cannibalizing it. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for cannibalize

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cannibalize was in 1873

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Cite this Entry

“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannibalize. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

cannibalize

verb
can·​ni·​bal·​ize ˈkan-ə-bə-ˌlīz How to pronounce cannibalize (audio)
cannibalized; cannibalizing
: to take apart a machine for parts to be used as replacements in other machines

More from Merriam-Webster on cannibalize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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