as in used
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 cannibalized
At the 2025 Emmys, Domingo didn’t disappoint with his innate knack for wearing a bold look without being cannibalized by it.
—
Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The flagships seek to take on an upscale aura, and position the high street brand as aspirational to fend off Chinese ultra-fast fashion players such as Shein and Temu, which have cannibalized the low-cost market.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
The rise of sports gambling hasn’t cannibalized existing casino revenue.
—Ethan Hylton, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025
But with construction having cannibalized approximately 1,200 parking spots, residents in the neighborhoods bordering campus are worried about an influx of vehicles clogging residential streets.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025
Several years ago, niche review sites began to see their search clicks cannibalized by big brands generating SEO spam to take the top of the search results page.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025
Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The flagships seek to take on an upscale aura, and position the high street brand as aspirational to fend off Chinese ultra-fast fashion players such as Shein and Temu, which have cannibalized the low-cost market.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
The rise of sports gambling hasn’t cannibalized existing casino revenue.
—Ethan Hylton, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025
But with construction having cannibalized approximately 1,200 parking spots, residents in the neighborhoods bordering campus are worried about an influx of vehicles clogging residential streets.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025
Several years ago, niche review sites began to see their search clicks cannibalized by big brands generating SEO spam to take the top of the search results page.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalized
Verb
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For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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Photos used in this column were made possible by the Barry Bingham Jr.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Once new bins are delivered, the city will collect trash only from those; the old bins will be taken away and recycled.—
Sam Schulz,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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After the event, the team recycled the ramp materials.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalized. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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