1
as in to stop
slang
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
can the chatter, or I'm kicking you out of this library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to remove
to let go from office, service, or employment
the cashier was summarily canned for stealing from the registers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the racketeers were rounded up and thrown in the can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in restroom
a room furnished with a fixture for flushing body waste
I excused myself and asked if I could use the can
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in seat
the part of the body upon which someone sits
he fell on the ice and landed on his can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of can
Eliana Dockterman, Time, 12 May 2026
Sandro Tonali has been heavily linked with a move and there is a decent possibility of the Italian leaving, but only if a club can meet the significant overall cost required, which very few can.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 12 May 2026
While markets fret about the price of a barrel, India has been struggling with the cost of a can.
—Brendan Cosgrove, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Returning this season are the popular $2 hot dogs and 12-ounce cans of Busch Light for $5.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for can
Noun
And catastrophe nearly struck when Scottish customs agents opened IMAX film cans, potentially exposing the unused film.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 12 May 2026
Sandro Tonali has been heavily linked with a move and there is a decent possibility of the Italian leaving, but only if a club can meet the significant overall cost required, which very few can.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 12 May 2026
While markets fret about the price of a barrel, India has been struggling with the cost of a can.
—Brendan Cosgrove, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Returning this season are the popular $2 hot dogs and 12-ounce cans of Busch Light for $5.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for can
Recent Examples of Synonyms for can
Verb
-
This $20 maxi dress is versatile enough to serve multiple occasions and seasons—and shoppers can’t stop buying multiples of them.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
-
Goalkeeper Isabell Ikirt stopped a shot by Oconee County’s Sydney Jackson, prompting celebration by Jefferson, but the Dragons were told Ikirt had come off the line.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Critics of the renaming say keeping Trotter’s name could allow the college to confront its history rather than remove visible reminders of it.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
-
In his lawsuit, Elon Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages, for Altman to be removed from OpenAI and for the company to be returned to nonprofit status.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Aside from its rich taste coaxed in fruity olive oil, a tin is often less than four bucks.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
-
The conspiracy theorists, YouTubers, and tin-foil hatters have long kept the UFO conversation alive, pushing claims of hidden sightings, secret programs, and government cover-ups into mainstream culture.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The new commissioner faces the daunting task of improving the existing jail while planning for a world without it.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
The singer, who did not appear in court, avoided jail time by pleading guilty to the lesser charge; Spears initially faced one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The hotel and its accommodations have been designed with accessibility in mind, including elevators, entrances, parking, restrooms, hotel rooms, and routes to and from all restaurants, meeting, and entertainment spaces.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
Plans call for renovations to restrooms, adding a catering kitchen and repairing windows and glass.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The flat-back design also keeps her head from being pushed against the seat.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
Some climbed over seats and began obstructing the aisle.—
Michael Casey,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
During his temporary leadership, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to reach survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
The 47,000-square-foot store has been vacant since last June, when retail operations ceased following parent company Kroger’s decision to close several Chicago-area and suburban stores.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The court recommended that the petition be dismissed, and that the organizations be given one month to submit the employee lists.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Even the foundations of today’s artificial intelligence boom were laid by the NSF in the 1980s and 1990s, when neural networks were a backwater dismissed by mainstream computer science.—
Gautam Mukunda,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Can.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/can. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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