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
as in rot
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of canker
Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Camellia dieback and canker disease is characterized by sudden wilting and yellowing of the foliage and die-back of branch tips.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canker
Verb
Start by removing all blighted twigs and cankered branches 6 to 10 inches below the edge of visible infection.
—Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Noun
Fungal disease, butternut canker, wiped out about 90% of the state's butternut trees.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Camellia dieback and canker disease is characterized by sudden wilting and yellowing of the foliage and die-back of branch tips.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canker
Verb
-
To an extent Amorim was handed a chalice which has felt forever poisoned.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Each bloom produces exponentially growing waves of cyanotoxins that can poison and even kill nearby aquatic organisms.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sharp Objects uses a murder mystery to excavate the rot at the core of a Missouri town whose mythology glorifies the Confederacy.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The cabin smelled of rot and wood smoke.—
Nick Dothée,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But now, federal prosecutors say Hennen is the fixer behind the biggest point-shaving scandal in history, accused of bribing 39 college players, corrupting 17 programs and fixing — or trying fix — 29 games to enrich himself and other gamblers.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
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Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The most visible sign of this decay is the toxic white foam that now coats the surface, a thick layer of sewage and industrial waste that has formed over sections of the river.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Infrastructure decay is perhaps the most visible symptom.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These gaps are weak spots that can spread inward, causing the crystal structure to degrade and ultimately reduce the cell’s efficiency.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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The issue has intensified in recent years and is only set to get worse, as the relentless expansion of urban centres brings artificial light further into the countryside, permeating and degrading our view of the heavens.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Researchers found that the chance of dying from cancer among cancer survivors was higher among people who'd had COVID, especially in the year after being infected.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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On top of Megadeth’s Grammy accolades and double-platinum record sales, Mustaine beat throat cancer in 2019, holds black belts in taekwondo and karate, and owns a successful winemaking business with his wife and daughter.—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once snow begins, and hazardous conditions could persist into Sunday morning before snow tapers off.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Travel conditions could deteriorate rapidly as early as Friday evening.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There, they were crammed in squalor before being shot to death and buried in mass graves in the Liaudiskiai forest with the help of local Nazi collaborators.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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For Stroheim, the palaces and playgrounds of the rich are elaborate concealments of the drudgery and the squalor underlying comforts and luxuries—and even the bare necessities of everyday people.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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