Synonyms of cannibalize

cannibalize

verb

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.

Related Words

• use
• recycle
• utilize
• employ
• operate
• exploit
• reuse
• harness
• apply
• manipulate
• exercise
• handle
• work
• wield
• direct
• run

Dissimilar Words

• dump
• ignore
• chuck
• toss
• throw away
• throw out
• neglect
• junk
• misuse
• misapply

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cannibalize

Whether there’s enough demand to soak up this flood of new equity without cannibalizing the tech giants that have been leading the market higher for years is an active debate on Wall Street at the moment. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 June 2026

Now chatbots are cannibalizing the traditional search engine. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Some of those consequences will be borne by the production’s cast and crew, with the leak possibly cannibalizing viewership when the movie officially premieres on Paramount+ in October. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026

Analysts today describe an institution constrained by shortages of fuel and spare parts and increasingly dependent on domestic improvisation — modifying, repurposing and cannibalizing older systems to keep them operational. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026

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