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
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cannibalize
Astronomers watched as jets blasting from a black hole cannibalized a blue supergiant companion star.
—
Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
No small wonder that Scorcese self-cannibalized the move in several subsequent projects.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
SaaS profit margins may compress and consolidation may follow, but not because AI cannibalized the industry, Kahn explains.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Yeah, streamers have really cannibalized the romcom genre.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
No small wonder that Scorcese self-cannibalized the move in several subsequent projects.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
SaaS profit margins may compress and consolidation may follow, but not because AI cannibalized the industry, Kahn explains.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Yeah, streamers have really cannibalized the romcom genre.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
-
Foothill’s boys used their relays to place second in the team competition.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
-
Vonblum says only four stops in the city qualify — and that all other stops near bus lanes are ineligible because the lanes can also be used by turning cars and by bicycles.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
And while polystyrene is not commonly recycled in Connecticut, manufacturers say the technologies are available to reuse foam container material for other products.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
That involves much more than simply feeding space passengers, giving them air and recycling their waste into water and food—things that NASA and other space agencies already have some experience with.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
