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 incident saw former Russian military officer and British intelligence services double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia poisoned in Salisbury, England.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
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Her closest brush with tragedy occurred in season one when she was poisoned, but Oliver’s veterinarian son was able to bring her back to perfect health.—
Camille Perri,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The detective has no illusions about the rot, misogyny and rancid behavior simmering within the police force.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 June 2026
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Under the guidance of Belgian coach Hugo Broos, South Africa finished third at AFCON 2023 before topping Nigeria in World Cup qualifying to stop the rot of absences and stamp its ticket to the US, Mexico and Canada.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Americans are angry that their kids are being indoctrinated into a left-wing ideology intended to infiltrate their hearts and corrupt their moral center.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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Others have argued against the premise of the rules altogether, disputing the assertion that the City Council is being, or could be, corrupted by outside money.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
Noun
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The authors attribute this to a high-pressure region that forms on the side facing the flight direction, which produces a larger decay in the birdie's velocity in the horizontal direction.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
19 Aug. 2025
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Beyond 24 to 36 hours, a broadening of the wind field and some increase in shear should cause gradual decay in the peak winds.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The country’s ministry of culture and sports set out a series of rules and regulations which included no pyro, no face paint and no shouting of words that could be degrading towards any person on the field, not even the referee.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The bones also were coated with a light layer of minerals from the surrounding seawater, which may have prevented them from degrading.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Rondeau said her father's cancer was linked to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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But breast cancer treatment involves highly specialized language that most people have never encountered before.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Over the past year, the once-robust ties between India and the US –– both members of the Quad security grouping –– have deteriorated as political and economic strains have begun to overshadow their strategic partnership.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
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But with weeks to go, relations between the two sides could deteriorate further, potentially marring a national event that both say should be unifying.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The sheriff's office said her son, 15, and two younger daughters were found living in squalor in a condominium on Lydia Lane.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
1 Dec. 2025
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The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance, and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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