cannibalizing

present participle of cannibalize
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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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 cannibalizing Nevertheless, Miller is not worried about the two cars cannibalizing each other’s sales. James Morris, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 At that level, the spike in yields may start cannibalizing demand from equities. Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalizing
Verb
  • Investigators said Summers was using his phone extensively before the crash, driving 73-75 mph, and tested positive for cocaine and opiates.
    Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
  • The competition series featured masters of shamanism, tarot, face and foot reading, saju and other divination disciplines competing in challenges that tested their abilities, using tools including fans, bells, dowsing rods and modern-day laptops.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • The company also offers recycling incentive programs for Logitech accessories and networking devices.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2026
  • But although technological change complicates the goal of recycling EVs to build new ones, this model shows that the math could work out pretty well for many materials.
    Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cannibalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalizing. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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