canker 1 of 2

verb

Definition of cankernext
as in to poison
to lower in character, dignity, or quality such shameless ambulance chasing cankers the legal profession

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Recognize bacterial canker by the dead branches covered by sap drippings. — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Feb. 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
  1. poison
  2. rot
  3. corrupt
  4. decay
  5. degrade
  6. cancer
  7. deteriorate
  8. squalor
Verb
  • Morison’s followers called themselves Hygeists and attacked physicians as a monopoly that bled and poisoned its patients, which was not inaccurate in the 1830s.
    — Jim Downs, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Two young men were arraigned Wednesday for fentanyl distribution conspiracy after a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology was fatally poisoned and another nearly died.
    — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of poison
Noun
  • When the plant roots encounter an area acidified by decaying plant matter—a chemical gradient distinct from that of animal matter—ABA builds up on the side facing the rot, encouraging growth in the other direction.
    — Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026
  • And to manage context rot, feeding your agents only the context required for their current step may not be enough.
    — Klaudia Zaika, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of rot
Verb
  • Such errors can corrupt calculations without necessarily activating standard monitoring systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Cartels instead target local leaders, either corrupting them or killing those who stand in their way.
    — Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Noun
  • But he was plagued by guilt over his ancestor’s role in the trials, and felt compelled to explore themes of human character, greed, and social decay through his work.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • About 1 in 5 adults ages 20 to 64 has at least one untreated cavity, and nearly all adults 65 and older have dealt with tooth decay at some point, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of decay
Verb
  • Neither of those seats was a Democratic target at the start of this election cycle, but both races saw later investment as the environment appeared to degrade for Republicans.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The experiments will test whether the reactor’s exhaust system can endure the punishment of such high-performance plasma without degrading.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of degrade
Noun
  • Wiles stuck with the job even after her breast cancer diagnosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The 71-year-old’s lung cancer surgery led some in the Vatican to believe his trip to Latin America would be postponed or its intense schedule adjusted.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of cancer
Verb
  • Unreliable water supplies, deteriorating roads, corruption, and mismanagement of municipal finances, have left many councils struggling to provide basic services.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The surprise defection followed weeks of deteriorating relations with her former primary opponent, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of deteriorate
Noun
  • Wishing to save her from the spiritual squalor of their surroundings, David resolves to kill his rich employer.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
  • And for a quarterback whose superpower involves shuffling through collapsing pockets, scrambling through squalor, throwing off any and every platform — such a question was warranted.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of squalor

Browse Nearby Words

canisters
canker
cankered
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“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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