Synonyms of canal

canal

noun

kə-ˈnal 

as in aqueduct

an open man-made passageway for water

the Panama Canal opened a much easier and shorter passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aqueduct
• waterway
• river
• watercourse
• conduit
• flume
• racecourse
• raceway
• channel
• course
• gutter
• spillway
• sluice
• floodway
• stream
• millrace
• millstream
• torrent
• sluiceway
• trough
• rivulet
• tideway
• swash

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of canal

Fire officials warned that canals can become dangerous quickly because of fast-moving water and strong currents, as seen in the rescue video. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Drawing an analogy to the Erie Canal, the article posits AI as the canal and data as the water; true competitive advantage stems from differentiated data, not just faster processing of widely available information. — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

The agency’s testing identified cyclospora in two samples taken from a canal that the farm used for irrigation. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

In Florida, wild iguanas can live in burrows, culverts, drainage pipes and rock and debris piles found along canal banks or in vacant lots. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 July 2026