CANKER Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

canker 1 of 2

verb

Definition of canker next

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

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

Some believe that’s by design, that the show has been poisoned on purpose.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
By Chris Boyette, CNN A California judge dismissed charges against a dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband with liquid drain cleaner, ruling that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office had withheld evidence from the grand jury that indicted her.

— CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 3 June 2026