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
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
In other words, there's plenty that Apple could upgrade here without cannibalizing sales of the mainstream Series 11 watch.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
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
In other words, there's plenty that Apple could upgrade here without cannibalizing sales of the mainstream Series 11 watch.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
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Cousin, who is CEO of FSF Ventures, a nonprofit focused on sustainable food business models, believes investments like AI will help spur productivity in land already used for cultivation.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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One post on the platform included a screenshot of a season 4 scene where Will uses a conversation about Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to reveal his true feelings for Mike.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
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It's slated to receive the LEED Platinum green building standard and 97% of demolition materials have been recycled, reused, or upcycled during construction.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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