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

But the gold seekers, the ‘49ers, immediately set to digging ditches and canals to divert water, and so the new state soon allowed that practice, too. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

The new measure applies only to those using the public drinking water system for certain uses, and wouldn’t apply to people using private wells, canal water or an irrigation provider, city spokesperson Abby Haydin said. — Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026

The city’s architecture, centuries of art, intricate decorative details, winding canals and network of historic bridges (Pontes) continually influence his creative vision. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the museum offers a patriotic lens into how the canals, highways, railroads and mines that stitched this country together were built by machines born in American factories. — Malika Bowling, USA Today, 3 July 2026