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
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
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The young woman who sojourned to Oberlin College, where she was wrongfully accused of poisoning her classmates and beaten half to death, who raised her hands in defense of herself, then went on to grip clay and rock and chisel to re-create visions of justice.—
Tyehimba Jess,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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This same legacy may also poison international attitudes toward his country.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The final act does more to demonstrate the rot of the family unit — in not dissimilar ways to Cronin’s previous work — than the previous two hours and change.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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The committee was careful to note that the rot runs deeper than any single issue.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The following weekend, on Easter Sunday, the final boss of the tier — L’ura, a being made of pure light corrupted by the void (although viewers called it a wind chime) — is still alive.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The criticism most often leveled at proposals to support journalism is that government money corrupts editorial independence, which is a very real concern.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In detectors filled with liquid argon, the decay of this isotope creates signals that can look deceptively similar to the ones scientists are searching for.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
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Some formulas can remove surface stains caused by coffee, smoking or wine, while others address tougher stains caused by decay, age or genetics.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Our objective has always been to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure to the point where diplomacy and a sovereign Lebanese government can take over under Lebanon’s confessional system, reflecting Christian, Sunni and Shiite interests.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Actively removing litter from the coasts can reduce the amount of debris that may degrade into harmful microplastics.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mary is a devoted daughter who has been there for me after a cancer surgery, taking off from work to help me after the surgery.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
20 Apr. 2026
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Ojeh died in May 2025 at the age of 45 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Employees — unable to make payments without reimbursement — are watching their personal credit scores deteriorate as a result.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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An old male Japanese macaque maintained alpha status as his ability to walk deteriorated, but only through an alliance with the alpha female.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But does the vitality mask the squalor or the squalor the vitality?—
SPIN Team,
SPIN,
20 Apr. 2026
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And while these tenants paid their rent month after month, some of them up to $900 a month to live in squalor.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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