cannibalizes

present tense third-person singular of cannibalize
as in uses
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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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 cannibalizes Terrified of losing speculative momentum, Google threw its immense cash reserves into an arms race that actively cannibalizes its own business model. Sunil Sharan, Fortune, 27 May 2026 To some extent, the cool commercial logic of the fashion industry—which transforms beautiful, original works into cheaply reproducible goods, season after season—echoes that of Hollywood, which regularly cannibalizes and, yes, franchises its greatest successes. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026 But if the workforce can’t scale with those policies, the policy just cannibalizes itself. Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalizes
Verb
  • To manage operational heat, the hardware uses a thermal strategy that entirely removes mechanical components like fans or liquid pumps.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
  • Now, New Zealand space startup Zenno Astronautics says it’s tested an entirely new type of thruster that, unlike either of those conventional technologies, uses superconducting magnets to maintain a satellite’s orbit and orientation.
    Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Reese adds that Goodwill accepts clothing too worn to resell and recycles the textiles instead.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
  • Hernández, who recycles trash for a living, voted for Petro in 2022, but cast her ballot for de la Espriella this time.
    CBS News, CBS News, 21 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cannibalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalizes. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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