CANKER Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

canker 1 of 2

verb

Definition of canker

as in to poison

to lower in character, dignity, or quality such shameless ambulance chasing cankers the legal profession

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canker

2 of 2

noun

as in rot

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of canker

Noun

Nectria kills areas of woody tissue, sometimes creating cankers on the tree stem and large branches which in turn weaken the tree. — Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 2026 This damages the trunk and leaves an ugly, elongated canker that invites insects and stresses the tree, leading to stunted growth, sparse foliage, and stem dieback. — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026 Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more). — New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026 Even the most superb body begins to diminish in a person’s early 30s, thanks to the onset of sarcopenia, which sounds like a canker but means the incremental decline of muscle mass. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for canker

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canker

Verb

Trump is also poisoning the process at a moment when the system for casting votes in the United States really does need shoring up.

— Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
An unknown person has been poisoning mature pine trees at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village since 2022, with 16 more trees targeted this July and August — a case some suspect involves a wealthy resident trying to improve their view of Lake Tahoe.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of poison

Noun

Now the rot is right there on the surface; the people smiling are less likely to be clueless optimists than the people who are happy about the rot, or profiting from it.

— Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Joe is a knowing witness to and participant in the rot at the heart of Western Civilization.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of rot

Verb

There, Prue must go on a journey to save her younger brother Mac from crows led by a woman named Alexandra (Carey Mulligan), who captures Curtis and attempts to corrupt him for her own mysterious purposes.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
As a result, the notion of utopia became increasingly associated with the sci-fi genre, while the idea of creating a perfect social order here on earth was corrupted by totalitarian regimes.

— Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Noun

By tracking these positrons, researchers could determine their vertical decay angles and search for the tiny signal expected from an EDM.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Many lines of research align with the theory that aging is a direct result of decay — the inevitable degradation of molecules (including proteins or DNA), organelles, cells, or whole organs — from external assault or inexorable breakdown.

— Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of decay

Verb

Iran is unlikely to give up the leverage offered by having proxies spread across the region, even if some of them have been degraded by Israel or lost a foothold thanks to regime change, as is the case in Syria.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
But now, Wright says Wendy’s has drifted from some of those qualities, telling investors that decisions made in the interest of cost and efficiency had degraded some of the food quality that set the chain apart.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of degrade

Noun

Three months after his diagnosis, Hank confirmed that his cancer was in remission.

— Matt Carlstrom, Vanity Fair, 14 Aug. 2026
The movie, which was released Friday , is about a student who lands the lead in a school musical at the same time her mom’s cancer returns.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of cancer

Verb

But the journey can turn rough when wind and sea conditions deteriorate, Agnos said, particularly around the Cyclades, where seasonal Meltemi winds can churn up the Aegean.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
After approximately three weeks in the field, a supervisor allegedly sent her home after observing that her physical condition was deteriorating.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of deteriorate

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canisters

canker

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“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of canker

verb

noun

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