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
Strategy was deprioritized or cannibalized within bloated portfolios.
—
Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
The bottom line: The music industry bottomed out in 2014, not because streaming was cannibalizing the industry's growth, but because the industry wasn't addressing the consumer's need for streaming fast enough.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Traditional media is just being cannibalized internally.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Some box office pundits note that some of the films opening this weekend should have been spaced out so as not to cannibalize each other (i.e., Amateur versus Warfare, or King of Kings versus Fathom’s ongoing viewing of episodes from season five of The Chosen: The Last Supper).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
The bottom line: The music industry bottomed out in 2014, not because streaming was cannibalizing the industry's growth, but because the industry wasn't addressing the consumer's need for streaming fast enough.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Traditional media is just being cannibalized internally.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Some box office pundits note that some of the films opening this weekend should have been spaced out so as not to cannibalize each other (i.e., Amateur versus Warfare, or King of Kings versus Fathom’s ongoing viewing of episodes from season five of The Chosen: The Last Supper).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
-
Athit Perawongmetha | Reuters China is devising more ways for foreign institutions to use the yuan, as international confidence in the U.S. dollar falters.—
Lee Ying Shan,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
-
Help customers understand how your compliance actually protects them and unlocks their ability to use your product with confidence.—
Sal Rehmetullah,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
In 2023, the brand recycled three tons of waste through its Cascade program under the Baobab Foundation.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
The bank loans are then recycled as investments into new projects.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share