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
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Recent Examples of canals
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Puerto Rico Expansive rain gardens, nature trails, lakes, and canals create an out-of-the-ordinary resort feel.
—
Amber Kallor, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
The watershed also is situated on relatively flat, low-lying and porous terrain, enabling higher tides to penetrate deeper into the freshwater marshes through the vast network of canals that holds the watershed together.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Alila Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico Nature surrounds Alila Mayakoba, a secluded hotel situated on 60 acres of mangroves and freshwater canals in Riviera Maya.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 7 Jan. 2026
One of the most common ways to explore it is by boat, traveling through the city via its canals.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Later in the season, the fashion show for Marcello’s new brand is threatened by the rising waters of the Venice canals — until the problem is embraced with rain boots passed out to attendees (see slide nine of Collins’ post).
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
And the role of state and national governments in fostering the construction of canals, railroads, river improvements and ports had substantial payoffs.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Beyond 2026 In the coming years, Panther Island will lean into its strengths around river and trail access and along with the new canals and future parks, Seco’s Needham said.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2026
The canals and pond, which were aggregately 193,000 cubic meters in volume and appear to have no practical purpose, would have taken 255,000 days of labor by a single individual.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Amber Kallor, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
The watershed also is situated on relatively flat, low-lying and porous terrain, enabling higher tides to penetrate deeper into the freshwater marshes through the vast network of canals that holds the watershed together.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Alila Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico Nature surrounds Alila Mayakoba, a secluded hotel situated on 60 acres of mangroves and freshwater canals in Riviera Maya.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 7 Jan. 2026
One of the most common ways to explore it is by boat, traveling through the city via its canals.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Later in the season, the fashion show for Marcello’s new brand is threatened by the rising waters of the Venice canals — until the problem is embraced with rain boots passed out to attendees (see slide nine of Collins’ post).
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
And the role of state and national governments in fostering the construction of canals, railroads, river improvements and ports had substantial payoffs.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Beyond 2026 In the coming years, Panther Island will lean into its strengths around river and trail access and along with the new canals and future parks, Seco’s Needham said.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2026
The canals and pond, which were aggregately 193,000 cubic meters in volume and appear to have no practical purpose, would have taken 255,000 days of labor by a single individual.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canals
Noun
-
The tunnel would create a second route to transport water from new intakes on the Sacramento River to the south side of the Delta, where pumps send water into the aqueducts of the State Water Project.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Workers excavated parts of the route with explosives and built locks and aqueducts along 363 miles of canal.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The waterways of the Columbia River basin, full of dams that corral salmon in tight spaces, are just too easy of a hunting ground for the sea lions to spurn.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The state also has an above average number of polluted waterways and more coal ash ponds — small, toxic water bodies near coal plants where poisonous refuse is discarded — than any other state.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canals. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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