as in to poison
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
such shameless ambulance chasing cankers the legal profession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rot
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Fungal disease, butternut canker, wiped out about 90% of the state's butternut trees.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 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
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
Fungal disease, butternut canker, wiped out about 90% of the state's butternut trees.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canker
Verb
-
Harold had been given a root beer float, poisoned with ethylene glycol purchased by Ashley, as those damning text messages showed.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But Antonelli also questioned reports the two had been deliberately poisoned.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This can cause wood rot and paint warping.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
-
American viewers who are accustomed to MAGA-style trolling might expect the Lego videos to be driven by a certain clickbait nihilism—brain rot, Tehran-style.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff Office investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is facing troubles of its own, as a former sheriff has accused current leadership of ‘corrupting’ the crime scene, and a deputy has been arrested and fired on a kidnapping charge.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
To win, Orbán has to corrupt that searing national memory, and to substitute fear of Ukraine.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the blasting afternoon sun, the stench of fermenting earth and decay steams off the marsh.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Power from radioactive decay NRD claims the battery can deliver power outputs ranging from 5 nanowatts to 500 nanowatts.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Summary sourcing, however, degraded with Gemini 3.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Israel appears to have taken the lead on assassinating even low-level figures linked to Iran’s nuclear program while systematically degrading the knowledge centers that could prove useful in the future.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For the playwright Clare Barron, the wake-up call came in 2013, when her father was diagnosed with Stage IV head-and-neck cancer.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Alexis Anzo, co-owner of Bamboo Juices in Serenbe, notes there are clinical cases where low-fiber makes sense, including certain gastrointestinal conditions and cancer therapies that rely on rapid nutrient absorption.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The lawsuit says the hospital did not tell his family that Hylton’s condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to the ICU without a doctor on-site.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After its seemingly benign opening, the movie captures the appalling conditions under which the inmates are kept, with unblinking scenes of bullying, force feeding, strip searches and squalor.—
Chloe Veltman,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Many came from grinding poverty and squalor.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
