as in informant
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canary
Serpents are almost nobody’s idea of a canary in the coal mine, not least because of how universally they’re loathed.
—
Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
In the minds of some, the flowers have the appearance of miniature canaries perched on a branch.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
Sara’s sister, Lisa Lisa is gay, and her queerness acts as somewhat of a canary in the coal mine that is Sara’s relationship with Ben.
—Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
The other begins by recognizing that increasingly frequent and severe weather events are not outliers but warnings, as the canary in the coal mine.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for canary
Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
In the minds of some, the flowers have the appearance of miniature canaries perched on a branch.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
Sara’s sister, Lisa Lisa is gay, and her queerness acts as somewhat of a canary in the coal mine that is Sara’s relationship with Ben.
—Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
The other begins by recognizing that increasingly frequent and severe weather events are not outliers but warnings, as the canary in the coal mine.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for canary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canary
Noun
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But, during the trials, you were named as someone who interrogated Aquash for being an informant.—
Nick Estes,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
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Privacy advocates have expressed concern that the program, and Ring’s accompanying Neighbors app, have heightened the risk of racial profiling and turned residents into informants, with few guardrails around how law enforcement can use the material.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
Noun
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The court can instruct the jury to view with caution the testimony of, say, an informer or a drug addict.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
10 June 2025
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Singh says that the Kashmir policy of India's Hindu nationalist government has alienated residents of Kashmir, and cost the Indian army its vital network of local informers.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What This Means For You Recent research linking glyphosate, a common weedkiller ingredient, to cancer in rats raises new concerns about its safety for humans.—
Fran Kritz,
Verywell Health,
20 June 2025
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In the delightful Ratatouille, Remy the rat (Patton Oswalt) struggles to fit in.—
Meg Walters,
EW.com,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Canary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canary. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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