1
a
: the bed where a natural stream of water runs
b
: the deeper part of a river, harbor, or strait
c
: a strait or narrow sea between two close landmasses
crossed the English Channel
d
: a means of communication or expression: such as
(1)
: a path along which information (such as data or music) in the form of an electrical signal passes
(2)
channels plural
: a fixed or official course of communication
went through established military channels with his grievances
e
: a way, course, or direction of thought or action
new channels of exploration
f
: a band of frequencies of sufficient width for a single radio or television communication
g
h
: an account on an online media sharing or streaming service from which one can make media content (such as videos) available to others using the service
The video was posted Saturday and has been viewed thousands of times since being picked up by YouTube channels devoted to UFOs and unsolved mysteries …—
Mark Price
Mark PriceThe Washington Post and Bloomberg covered the Russia-United States summit live on their Twitch channels.—Alexandra Arriaga
Alexandra Arriaga2
a
: a usually tubular enclosed passage : conduit
the poison channel in a snake's fangs
b
: a passage created in a selectively permeable cell membrane by a conformational change in membrane proteins
also
: the proteins of such a passage compare ion channel
3
: a long gutter, groove, or furrow
a road channel
4
: a metal bar of flattened U-shaped section
channeled or channelled; channeling or channelling
1
a
: to form, cut, or wear a channel in
The river channeled a new course.
b
: to make a groove in
channel a chair leg
2
: to convey or direct into or through a channel
channel his energy into useful work
3
: to serve as a channeler or intermediary for
a 35,000-year-old female channeled by a 40-year-old housewife
: one of the flat ledges of heavy plank or metal bolted edgewise to the outside of a ship to increase the spread of the shrouds (see shroud entry 1 sense 3a)
Synonyms
Examples of channel in a Sentence
Verb
She's started channeling her anger towards me.
He channeled millions of dollars into the program.
Recent Examples on the WebGabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The videos went on to rack up 65 million views — by far the most popular videos ever posted to his channel.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile a stretched and limited dispatch center had single operators monitoring five or six channels at a time to keep up.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
In the weeks after their son's birth, the model and her longtime boyfriend got candid about the scarier parts of the birth in a vlog shared to her YouTube channel.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
And of course, there are plenty of resources to help you get acquainted with the basics, like introductory YouTube videos by Robles and a wonderful walkthrough from a YouTube channel called Ellen’s Tips for iOS.
—Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
In March 2024, their YouTube channels had 19 million unique views, about 75% of them from people inside Russia.
—Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The severe weather will stretch ahead of a cold front from the upper and mid-Mississippi River valleys to portions of the Ozarks region, according to the channel.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
In a separate interview Sunday on MSNBC, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talked about a plan the Army Corps of Engineers released last week to open a 35-foot deep channel to the Port of Baltimore by the end of April.
—Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
There were a few blurry, almost indiscernible, snaps, which seemed to be a result of North channeling her aesthetic, not her shaky picture-taking skills.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Her pop spectacle channeled 2000s-era Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera with fierce choreography and powerhouse vocals.
—Lucas Villa, Allure, 12 Apr. 2024
The Kremlin will likely respond to this challenge by attempting to co-opt these groups, and channel their patriotic zeal into politically acceptable activities.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
French far-right icon Marine Le Pen and her party have seemed particularly eager to channel agricultural outrage.
—Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
No matter the season, Madewell has long been the shopping destination for classic, breezy apparel that channels an effortless vibe through elevated basics and thoughtful silhouettes.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
The park’s Redwood Canopy Trail takes visitors up into the mid-canopy over aerial suspension bridges, with platforms from which to gaze out and channel your inner Swiss Family Robinson.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
So that’s why there’s so many drums out there on the CMTs stage — because Hubert (Payne, the group’s drummer) is channeling his inner Chester Thompson… with Akil sitting next to him.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
Fans can tune in on their smartphones, TVs or computers on Coachella's YouTube channel.
—Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The videos went on to rack up 65 million views — by far the most popular videos ever posted to his channel.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile a stretched and limited dispatch center had single operators monitoring five or six channels at a time to keep up.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
In the weeks after their son's birth, the model and her longtime boyfriend got candid about the scarier parts of the birth in a vlog shared to her YouTube channel.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
And of course, there are plenty of resources to help you get acquainted with the basics, like introductory YouTube videos by Robles and a wonderful walkthrough from a YouTube channel called Ellen’s Tips for iOS.
—Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
In March 2024, their YouTube channels had 19 million unique views, about 75% of them from people inside Russia.
—Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The severe weather will stretch ahead of a cold front from the upper and mid-Mississippi River valleys to portions of the Ozarks region, according to the channel.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
In a separate interview Sunday on MSNBC, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talked about a plan the Army Corps of Engineers released last week to open a 35-foot deep channel to the Port of Baltimore by the end of April.
—Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Verb
Styled by Leith Clark, the star’s all-black suit channeled Dior’s iconic New Look silhouette in a fresh, modern way.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
There were a few blurry, almost indiscernible, snaps, which seemed to be a result of North channeling her aesthetic, not her shaky picture-taking skills.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Her pop spectacle channeled 2000s-era Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera with fierce choreography and powerhouse vocals.
—Lucas Villa, Allure, 12 Apr. 2024
The Kremlin will likely respond to this challenge by attempting to co-opt these groups, and channel their patriotic zeal into politically acceptable activities.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
French far-right icon Marine Le Pen and her party have seemed particularly eager to channel agricultural outrage.
—Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
No matter the season, Madewell has long been the shopping destination for classic, breezy apparel that channels an effortless vibe through elevated basics and thoughtful silhouettes.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
The park’s Redwood Canopy Trail takes visitors up into the mid-canopy over aerial suspension bridges, with platforms from which to gaze out and channel your inner Swiss Family Robinson.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
So that’s why there’s so many drums out there on the CMTs stage — because Hubert (Payne, the group’s drummer) is channeling his inner Chester Thompson… with Akil sitting next to him.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'channel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near channel
Cite this Entry
“Channel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/channel. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
channel
1 of 2 noun
chan·nel
ˈchan-ᵊl 
1
: the bed of a stream
2
: the deeper part of a river, harbor, or strait
3
: a strait or a narrow sea between two close large areas of land
the English Channel
4
: a way of passing something along
negotiating through diplomatic channels
5
: a group of frequencies close enough in value for a single radio or television communication
6
: a closed passage through which something flows
7
: a long gutter, groove, or track
channel
2 of 2 verb
channeled or channelled; channeling or channelling
1
: to form a channel in
2
: to direct into or through a channel
Medical Definition
channel
noun
chan·nel
ˈchan-ᵊl
1
: a usually tubular enclosed passage
2
a
: a passage created in a selectively permeable membrane by a conformational change in membrane proteins see ion channel
b
: a protein or cluster of proteins that functions as a channel see calcium channel blocker
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