CANKERS Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

cankers 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of canker

as in poisons

to lower in character, dignity, or quality such shameless ambulance chasing cankers the legal profession

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cankers

2 of 2

noun

plural of canker

as in rot

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cankers

Verb

Set in 2029 in a future where no mutants have been born in 25 years, Jackman plays an older, grizzlier Wolverine, one whose healing factor is fading as his adamantium skeleton slowly poisons him.

— Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026
Any infection can progress to a systemic disease that poisons the blood and body.

— RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of poisons

Noun

Hossain and her collaborators have conjured an internalized hellscape marked by sensual photography, gnarly cyst makeup, and suffocating matrimonial rituals involving turmeric and milk — all redolent with upper-class heteronormative rot.

— Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Interestingly, though, Oppenheim doesn’t see the media as inherently corrupting; in Primetime, television is simply an empty space, and the desperation to fill it with the lowest common denominator is where the rots starts to set in.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of rot

Noun

Now researchers are investigating whether certain cancers, such as breast cancer, could be added to that list.

— Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 8 June 2026
Over time, follow-on R&D added over 40 indications across numerous cancers — including early-stage applications that allow treatment to begin before cancer worsens.

— Tomas J. Philipson, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026

Definition of cancers

Verb

When a critical resource of a larger system is categorized as interchangeable, the company triggers savings logic that, in pursuit of lower prices, degrades quality.

— Mindaugas Čaplinskas, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Annual cultivation — the plow, plant, harvest and repeat cycle — strains soil formation, which takes thousands of years and rapidly degrades the farmland.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of degrades

Verb

Even if Korea can maintain 2% economic growth over the next two decades, consumption growth gradually weakens and eventually turns negative, according to Goldman’s long-term modeling.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
As that frozen ground warms and ice inside thaws, the cement weakens, and slopes that stood for thousands of years can lose their grip.

— Umesh Haritashya, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakens

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

cankering

cankers

canned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cankers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cankers. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cankers

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

watershed

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes