CANCER Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

cancer

noun

Definition of cancer

as in disease

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in lymphoma

Related Words

as in canker

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of cancer Recently, her driver Jason Pirro spoke with In Touch and suggested that her battle with cancer wasn’t the sole factor in her passing—the March 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean Thomas, also played a major role. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 9 Oct. 2026 His work, together with that of some others, launched modern cancer immunotherapy. — Robert C. Gallo, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026 Research shows that up to 10% of breast cancer patients were initially diagnosed with skin changes. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 Ebony, a single mother of six who has breast cancer, needed longer-term help. — Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cancer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cancer

Noun

The first is to dramatically accelerate the pace of basic science, and the second is to accelerate curing disease and extending health span.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
DeVeydt added that costs for inpatient services and pharmacy, particularly costly specialty pharmacy drugs for cancer and rare diseases, remain elevated.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Adami was diagnosed with stage 4 follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

— Max Darrow, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Caribou Biosciences is shutting down after failing to raise the money necessary to fund a late-stage clinical trial of its off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy for lymphoma, the company said Tuesday.

— Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of lymphoma

Noun

Botryosphaeria canker and dieback are attributed to several causal agents in the Botryosphaeriaceae family.

— Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Monitor for Pests and Disease Healthy plants are better at surviving heat stress than plants that are already weakened, so keep an eye on your tomato plants throughout the growing season for common pests, like tomato hornworm, and diseases, such as early or late blight, white mold, and canker.

— Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026

Definition of canker

Noun

Merck and Moderna reported in August that adding their mRNA cancer vaccine to an existing treatment slowed the return and spread of melanoma.

— Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
The drug, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, met goals in more than 1,100 patients with higher-risk or advanced melanoma.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of melanoma

Noun

The inspector reported that there were two carrots and one celery stalk that have white growth and decay in the container next to the juicer.

— Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026
Protesters in recent weeks have clashed with police to demand their government increase investments in public schools, which have long suffered from staff shortages and infrastructural decay.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of decay

Noun

An avid runner and golfer fit and trim enough to pass for a man a decade younger, the silver-haired Claire was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2015 when what looked like a harmless spot on his lip turned out to be cancerous.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
After undergoing surgery to remove the testicle (an orchiectomy), Reeve discovered the mass was embryonal carcinoma.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of carcinoma

Noun

Check stored bulbs monthly and discard any showing signs of rot.

— Pam Rosendal, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026
The atmosphere persists even when the characters are off the air, as if to suggest that the seeping rot of the show has metastasized into every moment of their lives.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of rot

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cancels (out)

cancer

cancers

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Style

“Cancer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cancer. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cancer

noun

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