Synonyms of canals

canals

noun

plural of canal

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

• aqueducts
• waterways
• watercourses
• rivers
• conduits
• flumes
• raceways
• channels
• racecourses
• gutters
• courses
• sluices
• spillways
• sluiceways
• streams
• floodways
• torrents
• rivulets
• millraces
• troughs
• millstreams
• swashes
• tideways

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of canals

With its iconic canals, Gothic architecture, Moorish windows, and artisan legacy spanning everything from Murano glass and Burano lace to terrazzo flooring, Venice is a design lover's paradise. — Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026

Water authorities trying to maintain adequate supplies of fresh water have banned farmers in some parts of the country from pumping water out of canals to irrigate their crops. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Governments can then make decisions based on the resulting risk maps, such as prioritising patrols and fire bans in high-risk areas, and blocking drainage canals to rewet peatlands and raise groundwater levels before a fire starts. — Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026

This town in southern Japan was a key rice distribution center in the Edo Period (1603–1867) thanks to a network of transport canals. — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026

Stephanie Gavan is a freelance writer and editor from Liverpool with a background in contemporary art and a deep affection for Italy, having spent years living among the canals of Venice. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026

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

And most firms are filling their new canals with the same water everyone else already has. — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

If time is tighter, the Prague Venice River Cruise lasts 45 minutes and takes you off the river and into the canals. — Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 21 July 2026