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
Several years ago, niche review sites began to see their search clicks cannibalized by big brands generating SEO spam to take the top of the search results page.
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Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025
That hit would come after several years of the city shelling out millions more in pension contributions to prevent the funds from cannibalizing their own assets.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The President’s books are still reporting healthy sales, but are being consumed by AI engines which profit from his thoughts by cannibalizing his concepts, thus undermining future sales of his books.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Their goal is to serve as retail consultants, pairing up complementary businesses that promote each others’ brands without cannibalizing sales.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025
That hit would come after several years of the city shelling out millions more in pension contributions to prevent the funds from cannibalizing their own assets.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The President’s books are still reporting healthy sales, but are being consumed by AI engines which profit from his thoughts by cannibalizing his concepts, thus undermining future sales of his books.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Their goal is to serve as retail consultants, pairing up complementary businesses that promote each others’ brands without cannibalizing sales.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
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The town’s most high-profile venue is Meadow Creek, a sprawling 277-acre plot of land used as a festival grounds complete with the full destination camping experience.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
1 Sep. 2025
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Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If it can be plugged in or runs on batteries, there’s one easy option to recycle it on the cheap.—
Laura Daily,
Denver Post,
1 Sep. 2025
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The danger with recycling old narratives is that brands end up getting stuck in the past instead of shaping the future.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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