How to Use can in a Sentence

can

noun
  • He ate the whole can of beans.
  • Run string through the holes and hang the can out of reach of mice.
    The Editors, Field & Stream, 4 Aug. 2020
  • The secret is to open both the top and the bottom of the can.
    Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2021
  • For years, the can has been one of the most sought after in the world.
    CBS News, 29 June 2019
  • In which case, most of the stuff was already in the can.
    Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 June 2022
  • The old can of paint tucked on a shelf in the basement.
    Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Sep. 2021
  • Pull out the debris and throw the gunk and the wand away in a trash can.
    Tanya Edwards, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2022
  • Garbage from the event was stacked on top of trash cans.
    Terrell Jermaine Starr, The Root, 17 June 2018
  • Make three more holes in the top of the can with can opener.
    Redbook, 13 May 2012
  • Let's get rid of the drums on this and just bang on a trash can.
    Katherine Turman, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2021
  • At this point, the full piece of hair was inside the can.
    Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 31 Aug. 2022
  • Use chickpeas straight from the can or crisp them in the oven.
    Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2022
  • Drag them to the trash can in the lower right corner of the dock.
    Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2020
  • That part of the can was in the middle of the lot along with broken glass.
    cleveland, 20 Nov. 2020
  • Gaga takes a swig from the can, then crushes it and hurls it to the ground.
    Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2020
  • One day, a can of beans fell off a shelf and clonked him on the head.
    James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 6 July 2018
  • The youths were found to be playing with a small fire in a can.
    oregonlive.com, 31 July 2019
  • Some of them were still open, the width and depth of a 2-pound coffee can.
    Anchorage Daily News, 4 Jan. 2020
  • The doctor walked into the room and took a seat on the lid of a red trash can.
    Edward McKinley, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2022
  • The rest of the can was filled with water or vegetable broth.
    Michael A. Gardiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2022
  • Beijing’s plan so far appears to be to kick the can down the road.
    The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2021
  • Two guys were sitting in the front row with cans of beer.
    Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
  • One fan brought me a can of tuna and asked me to sign it.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2022
  • So a lot of my friends opt for that, the margarita in a can.
    James Brown, USA TODAY, 3 July 2022
  • His tree skirt was a trash can and his topper was the lid.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 28 Nov. 2022
  • Recycling bins can get even funkier thanks to sticky bottles or cans that weren’t rinsed thoroughly.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
  • An air compressor or even a can of compressed air makes quick work of this one.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
  • This creamy casserole also includes plenty of cheese and, of course, a can of cream of mushroom soup.
    Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The shoes are scuffed up and spray-painted, presumably with a can of Krylon from a home improvement retailer.
    The Oklahoman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Officers found Hall in his hotel room surrounded by air duster cans.
    Ryan Brennan april 15, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'can.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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