as in using
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 cannibalizing
But on top of that, many series decide to submit only one episode per category to keep from cannibalizing their own vote totals.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 20 June 2026
Rather than cannibalizing the lean-back view, the two screens stack, pointing to an audience that has normalized simultaneous fast and slow consumption rather than choosing between them.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 June 2026
Whether there’s enough demand to soak up this flood of new equity without cannibalizing the tech giants that have been leading the market higher for years is an active debate on Wall Street at the moment.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Now chatbots are cannibalizing the traditional search engine.
—Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Some of those consequences will be borne by the production’s cast and crew, with the leak possibly cannibalizing viewership when the movie officially premieres on Paramount+ in October.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Analysts today describe an institution constrained by shortages of fuel and spare parts and increasingly dependent on domestic improvisation — modifying, repurposing and cannibalizing older systems to keep them operational.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Search revenue grew 17% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, quieting concerns over AI’s cannibalizing Google’s core business, and the company crossed $400 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 May 2026
That means Foundayo is not cannibalizing sales of Lilly’s industry-leading injectable drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Joe Reid, Vulture, 20 June 2026
Rather than cannibalizing the lean-back view, the two screens stack, pointing to an audience that has normalized simultaneous fast and slow consumption rather than choosing between them.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 June 2026
Whether there’s enough demand to soak up this flood of new equity without cannibalizing the tech giants that have been leading the market higher for years is an active debate on Wall Street at the moment.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Now chatbots are cannibalizing the traditional search engine.
—Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Some of those consequences will be borne by the production’s cast and crew, with the leak possibly cannibalizing viewership when the movie officially premieres on Paramount+ in October.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Analysts today describe an institution constrained by shortages of fuel and spare parts and increasingly dependent on domestic improvisation — modifying, repurposing and cannibalizing older systems to keep them operational.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Search revenue grew 17% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, quieting concerns over AI’s cannibalizing Google’s core business, and the company crossed $400 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 May 2026
That means Foundayo is not cannibalizing sales of Lilly’s industry-leading injectable drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalizing
Verb
-
Officers conducted a search on foot and using a drone, but were unable to locate the animal.—
Evelyn Ronan,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
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Rainy weather driving tips Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
In their natural habitat outdoors, termites and carpenter ants are beneficial, recycling woody debris and returning nutrients to the soil.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 June 2026
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Broader circular economy Beyond recycling coal waste, China is eyeing a broader circular economy to overhaul its construction material supply.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalizing. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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