Synonyms of canaries

canaries

noun

plural of canary, slang

as in informants

a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing

a canary who was singing and giving up the names of some of the city's most notorious drug lords

Synonyms & Similar Words

• informants
• informers
• rats
• collaborators
• squealers
• tattlers
• stoolies
• spies
• snitches
• betrayers
• stool pigeons
• tattletales
• snitchers
• finks
• deep throats
• telltales
• narks
• talebearers
• rat finks
• whistleblowers
• gossipers
• snoops
• blabbermouths
• leakers
• gossips
• snoopers
• notifiers
• blabbers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of canaries

Astronauts bring them on journeys to keep an eye on whether or not the water filtration systems are working, much the way miners used to take canaries down to the coal mines to check for poisonous gas leaks. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

She’s made room for dozens of pets over the years, ranging from fluffy Chow Chows and Frenchies (her favorite breeds) to canaries, chinchillas, and beautifully fluffy cats. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 11 Sep. 2026

The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 26 June 2026

These living materials could also serve as canaries in the coal mine for water safety, glowing brighter or dimming in the presence of specific toxins. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026

That principle is why coal miners once brought canaries underground, as one emergency medicine doctor explained in a recent court declaration. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026

If canaries in coal mines were harbingers of safe conditions, surely piping plovers at Waukegan Beach mean the city is overcoming its polluted past. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026

The proverbial canaries in coal mines will then cause a recession. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026

Make canaries and rollback standard. — Rahul Dey, Forbes.com, 20 Feb. 2026