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
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Crack into a can of craft beer, gaze at the wall plastered with polaroids of smiling patrons, and tuck into an engrossing read on one of the tweed armchairs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Paint doesn’t last forever, and keeping old cans around can be both a safety hazard and a waste of space.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Turn a jar of your favorite salsa, a can of Southwestern-style corn, and some cream cheese into your new weeknight go-to dinner.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for can
Noun
His modest production is a concern, but speed and athletic ability can’t be taught; technique can.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Crack into a can of craft beer, gaze at the wall plastered with polaroids of smiling patrons, and tuck into an engrossing read on one of the tweed armchairs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Paint doesn’t last forever, and keeping old cans around can be both a safety hazard and a waste of space.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Turn a jar of your favorite salsa, a can of Southwestern-style corn, and some cream cheese into your new weeknight go-to dinner.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for can
Recent Examples of Synonyms for can
Verb
-
Quin Snyder’s Towns wrinkle stalled the Knicks briefly, then stopped working.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The workers get ordered to start jobs, stop jobs, ignore jobs and are other things that turn them into ping pong balls, with the Butleys and the del Valles as the paddles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On the Met steps, Osaka opened her dress and removed her headpiece for a grand reveal underneath.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
While the salt helps with debris and odor, soap and warm water help to remove more residue and bacteria.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The unique blend from Yame, Japan, has a nutty taste, umami finish and comes in a bright orange tin.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The research was co-authored by Kim Garam and Im So-Jeong, and a domestic patent application for the nano-tin interlayer technology has been filed in Korea.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mueller, whom Northside ISD placed on leave, remained in the Bexar County jail on $95,000 bail and faced up to life in prison if convicted.—
JJ Velasquez,
San Antonio Express-News,
3 May 2026
-
Mengtong / China News Service/VCG via Getty Images The restrictions have prevented Allen from communicating with anyone besides his legal team, as well as accessing the commissary or resources such as jail tablets, the filing states.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Outpost and City Street are preparing to undertake $30 million in infrastructure work, which includes turning the existing pond into a lake and building restrooms and a boathouse that will include a concession stand.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
The customer restroom had an empty paper towel dispenser.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Constitution Party candidate Brendan Gomez, who ran for the seat in 2024, and independent Sarah Zabel also are in the race and advance to the November general election because their primaries are uncontested.—
Kevin Fixler
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
-
California Democrats responded with voters approving a map that will likely net the party five more seats in November.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Marco Bello | Reuters Spirit Airlines ceased operations early Saturday after the budget airline failed to get its bond investors behind a $500 million government bailout deal.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
-
The building became empty and available after a solar roof company exited the site, ceased operations, laid off all its South Bay workers and moved to Texas.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
That lawsuit, along with a countersuit by the PGA Tour, was dismissed a year later.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
There’s too much effort, too much time, and too much sincerity apparent behind this film to dismiss it outright.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Can.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/can. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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