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
Those teams are going to cannibalize each other somewhat the rest of the way, but a one- or two-loss AAC champ likely would be ranked higher by the playoff committee.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2025
This is a major difference from GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can cause the body to cannibalize lean mass, including muscle and bone.
—New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
Remember when there was widespread fear that AI would cannibalize Google Search?
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Ducatillion described the agreement with Pimkie and the promotion of Lhomme as a smokescreen to make the company appear supportive of the textiles and fashion industry, while simultaneously cannibalizing it.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2025
This is a major difference from GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can cause the body to cannibalize lean mass, including muscle and bone.
—New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
Remember when there was widespread fear that AI would cannibalize Google Search?
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Ducatillion described the agreement with Pimkie and the promotion of Lhomme as a smokescreen to make the company appear supportive of the textiles and fashion industry, while simultaneously cannibalizing it.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
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The Dodgers, with baseball's biggest payroll, have used their financial ability to pluck some of the most sought-after and most expensive free agents on the market.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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According to the new study, certain forms of iron oxyhydroxide nanominerals can catalyze the degradation of organophosphate esters (OPEs), chemical additives used in plastics as flame retardants and softeners.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Compared to conventional hydrogen sulfide scavengers, single-use chemicals that create hazardous waste streams, SulfurSolve aims to recycle and reuse its valuable chemistry.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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The byproducts of crushing sugarcane are used as energy and fertilizer, and the sugar left over after crushing is recycled into SweetFoam, which is the world’s first carbon-negative midsole.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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