as in aqueducts
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
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Recent Examples of canals
More recently, from 2013 to 2014, Gardin documented the destructive transit of cruise ships through Venice’s delicate canals—a grotesque symbol for the domination of the city, and the country, by tourism and big business.
—
Max Norman, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
From the tulip fields to the canals of Amsterdam, the Netherlands is home to a wide variety of beautiful attractions.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Then, as evening falls, stroll along the canals or watch the sun melt into Øresund’s horizon—tracing wind turbines spinning in silhouette.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the Hotel Gabrielli has just reopened after a renovation, and its rooftop offers a stunning panorama of the iconic canals.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
The interactions of rivers, tides, and sediment at the head of the Persian Gulf created small canals and date groves, which allowed water to flow through the terrain.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2025
This series of misdemeanors was compounded by the felonies of the oil and gas industry, which carved thousands of miles of canals and pipelines into the marsh and excavated more than fifty thousand wells.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Martin Fly introduced the perfect outfit for South Florida anglers who are looking to get into fly fishing as well as experienced fly-rodders who are seeking an ideal setup for pursuing largemouth and peacock bass, as well as bluegills, Mayan cichlids and snakeheads in local lakes and canals.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
Improve access to canals and create trails.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Max Norman, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
From the tulip fields to the canals of Amsterdam, the Netherlands is home to a wide variety of beautiful attractions.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Then, as evening falls, stroll along the canals or watch the sun melt into Øresund’s horizon—tracing wind turbines spinning in silhouette.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the Hotel Gabrielli has just reopened after a renovation, and its rooftop offers a stunning panorama of the iconic canals.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
The interactions of rivers, tides, and sediment at the head of the Persian Gulf created small canals and date groves, which allowed water to flow through the terrain.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2025
This series of misdemeanors was compounded by the felonies of the oil and gas industry, which carved thousands of miles of canals and pipelines into the marsh and excavated more than fifty thousand wells.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Martin Fly introduced the perfect outfit for South Florida anglers who are looking to get into fly fishing as well as experienced fly-rodders who are seeking an ideal setup for pursuing largemouth and peacock bass, as well as bluegills, Mayan cichlids and snakeheads in local lakes and canals.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
Improve access to canals and create trails.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canals
Noun
-
Spain pulses with fiery rhythm—where flamenco flares in moonlit plazas and ancient Roman aqueducts stride across golden fields.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Across the country, stormwater runoff can carry oil, grease, bacteria, dirt and waste into nearby waterways.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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Be sure to stop by DeLuca’s Pizza and SQZBX Brewery & Pizza Joint, which are musts after working up an appetite hiking the trails and boating the waterways.—
Caroline Rogers,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Canals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canals. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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