as in to use
to remove parts from a machine, car, etc., to repair or build another one
He cannibalized one washing machine to fix another. Many parts of the engine were cannibalized from older cars.
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Recent Examples of cannibalize
But owners of the facilities — Long Shots in Frederick, River Boat on the Potomac and GBoone’s in Boonsboro — said the request was about ensuring the survival of the businesses through cooperation with existing casinos, not by cannibalizing the market.
—
Bryan P. Sears, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
There are only 52 weekends on the calendar, and with 30 movies, the studio would need to strategically place its releases as not to cannibalize its own ticket sales.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026
In other words, the risk of cannibalizing the ratings at the local stations likely outweighs the benefits of expanding the race’s streaming reach.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Some programmers have started to warn that similar advances could cannibalize all kinds of knowledge work.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Bryan P. Sears, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
There are only 52 weekends on the calendar, and with 30 movies, the studio would need to strategically place its releases as not to cannibalize its own ticket sales.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026
In other words, the risk of cannibalizing the ratings at the local stations likely outweighs the benefits of expanding the race’s streaming reach.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Some programmers have started to warn that similar advances could cannibalize all kinds of knowledge work.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
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When, in the early nineteen-hundreds, Gibson developed the F-style flat-back, inspired by the Stradivarius violin, the idea was to produce a louder instrument that could be used for classical as well as folk music, while being assembly-line-friendly.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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Orbán has used his party's current supermajority in Hungarian parliament to undermine the independence of the judiciary, crack down on independent media, demonize migrants and discriminate against LGBTQ people, Human Rights Watch has said.—
Emmet Lyons,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Target’s popular car seat trade‑in event is back, letting parents recycle old seats and get 20% off a new baby item for a limited time.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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During reprocessing, spent nuclear fuel is separated to recover uranium and plutonium to recycle it for use in new fuel.—
James Brooks,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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