as in to direct
to cause to move to a central point or along a restricted pathway
the director of the charity should be canalizing the flow of donations so that the money ends up where it is most needed
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Recent Examples of canalize
Some became conscious of the role a state could play in intervening in the economy in order to curb and canalize democracy.
—
Zeev Sternhell, Slate Magazine, 7 Apr. 2017
Zeev Sternhell, Slate Magazine, 7 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canalize
Verb
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The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Prosecutors say Johnson directed a person to send emails to Greenfield officials on his behalf addressing matters related to his employment and the ongoing investigation, with no attorneys included on the correspondence.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kelsea Ballerini channeled Old Hollywood glamour in a form-fitting halter gown drenched in intricate metallic beadwork in shades of gold, bronze, and olive, arranged in swirling, paisley-like patterns with fringe detailing cascading from the skirt and train.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Violette’s nostalgic invocation of the aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s did not so much channel the utopianism of the counterculture as mourn its passing, returning again and again to the grave of the last mythic moment when radical change seemed possible.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Upstream from Upper Klamath Lake, a key tributary was channelized and wetlands drained, resulting in massive amounts of phosphorus flowing into the Upper Klamath Lake and, eventually, the lower river.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
29 Dec. 2025
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The Army Corps of Engineers channelized and paved the once-meandering river.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In 2019, Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission opened an investigation into Andy Duong’s use of straw donors to funnel money to City Council candidates in past elections.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
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His administration began funneling data from a variety of government agencies to the Department of Homeland Security, including tax information filed with the IRS.—
Phil Galewitz,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a very small straight tip (or use a resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner); pipe a pattern on top of marzipan as desired.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Music piped through a loudspeaker, and the boys began to dance.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Across the street, four Border Police soldiers carrying long rifles threw glances at everything and everybody.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Rocker Yungblud is carrying the torch in memory of Ozzy Osbourne.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The agreement, signed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Airbus, and CFM International, will see Singapore conduct real-world evaluations of open-fan engines developed under CFM’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines program.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
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According to a 2025 market analysis conducted by OfferUp, a mobile marketplace app, 69% of shoppers turn to secondhand when the economy gets shaky.—
Mari Sato The Dallas Morning News,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canalize. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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