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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

canker

2 of 2

noun

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
Noun
Nectria kills areas of woody tissue, sometimes creating cankers on the tree stem and large branches which in turn weaken the tree. — Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 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
  • Attackers are also targeting AI solutions themselves with prompt injection attacks, poisoned datasets and other increasingly advanced tactics.
    — Peter Garraghan, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The researchers note that developing robust pre-treatment systems will be vital, as everyday impurities can quickly poison and deactivate the sensitive metal catalyst.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
Definition of poison
Noun
  • To thwart blossom end rot, some gardeners are purchasing blossom set sprays containing calcium to apply to their plants’ foliage.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • Making it through the growing phase, having ducked and dodged blight, hornworms, blossom end rot, and all the other problems a tomato plant might run into can feel like a success of its own.
    — Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 17 July 2026
Definition of rot
Verb
  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has reported that AI training data and inputs are being manipulated and warned that attackers could influence model behavior by corrupting the information AI systems rely upon.
    — Syed Ali, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Most of the other relationships in the movie are hopelessly corrupted or poisoned in some way, as Letty moves between an unloving mother and a vengeful former lover, and others whose closeness is a weapon to be feared.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 July 2026
Definition of corrupt
Noun
  • This gives the fluoride extra time to do its job and provide better protection against decay.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 23 July 2026
  • Damaged roots can make the tree vulnerable to decay, disease, and pests.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026
Definition of decay
Verb
  • But who has the time to wait for AI images to degrade naturally as they get passed around the Internet?
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026
  • The signal degrades at every step along this journey, and the guessers have to do their best with some pretty warped data.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Definition of degrade
Noun
  • Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, passed away Sunday after a long battle with cancer, the organization announced in a press release Thursday night.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
  • Princess Kate Princess Kate spent much of 2024 out of the public eye amid her cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Definition of cancer
Verb
  • The exact cause isn’t known, but Parkinson’s develops when cells that produce one of the brain’s chemical messengers — dopamine — begin to deteriorate and die.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • At the risk level, probability models can detect deteriorating household conditions, weakening purchase intentions or rising caution before these forces appear in traditional economic releases.
    — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of deteriorate
Noun
  • The children reportedly lived in squalor and weren’t enrolled in school.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026
  • Reform and Restore are no doubt relying on support from pockets of deprivation, squalor and neglect in Makerfield.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 18 June 2026
Definition of squalor

Browse Nearby Words

canisters
canker
cankered
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on canker

Nglish: Translation of canker for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about canker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All