cankering

verb

present participle of canker
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality such shameless ambulance chasing cankers the legal profession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cankering
  1. degrading
  2. deteriorating
  3. poisoning
  4. weakening
  5. corrupting
  6. humiliating
  7. subverting
  8. damaging
Verb
  • Online critics characterized the Polymarket contract as degrading and questioned why celebrity ambassadors would associate themselves with the company.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Oliver got the show started by kicking his heels together and pointing out that stand-up comedy and a venue like Carnegie Hall are opposing ovals in a Venn diagram, with stand-up degrading such a magnificent space.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • Authorities warned against hiking this route this time of year due to deteriorating conditions and the onset of winter weather.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Malaysia on Friday ordered hundreds of schools closed in several states because of deteriorating air quality.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • May says national polarization is poisoning the atmosphere locally.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • James Folta considers how generative AI is poisoning the literary well for everyone.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of poisoning
Verb
  • OpenAI disclosed a pair of safety incidents that involved AI agents weakening their safety monitoring systems during internal coding tasks.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, weakening brand loyalty threatens an advantage established manufacturers have relied on for decades.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Documentarian Alex Gibney is no stranger to dissections of corrupting power — from his feature dives into Enron, Elizabeth Holmes and Scientology.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupting
Verb
  • The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Definition of humiliating
Verb
  • Several works confront the digital systems shaping contemporary life, subverting algorithms and finding room for human error and agency.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • According to tax authorities, by inappropriately avoiding gains, investors are subverting the intention of the rules.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of subverting
Verb
  • It’s also sparked criticism, with some worried that strangers are capitalizing on gravesites without notifying descendants and risking damaging the sites.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In Hollywood, city officials may open beach parking garages so residents can relocate their vehicles away from damaging saltwater flooding.
    — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of damaging
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cankered
cankering
cankers
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Cite this Entry

“Cankering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cankering. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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