1
as in doctrines
a statement or body of statements concerning faith or morals proclaimed by a church
members of the church must abide by its canons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in lists
a record of a series of items (as names or titles) usually arranged according to some system
the canon of plays that are attributed to William Shakespeare
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in laws
a collection or system of rules of conduct
the ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility is a lawyer's canon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canons
As the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Hawke has found acting success by bestowing her charms in several high-profile projects such as Stranger Things and Inside Out 2 — or, for advanced studies, recent films in the Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson canons.
—
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 18 May 2026
Legend has it that the residents snuffed out their candles and strategically hung lanterns high in trees around the community so the enemy would think the buildings were on a hill and the canons would miss their targets in the early morning darkness.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
The attack was massive, involving nearly 50,000 infantry and cavalry as well as 58 canons.
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
Solak continued, saying that Smith’s arrest would be investigated by diocese officials and follow church canons that handle clergy misconduct.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
But learning other canons isn’t a bad way to start.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Both male and female idols (and the crowds) are drenched by water canons throughout the festival.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025
It is eventually revealed that Kawaji was also the man who gave the order to fire canons at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, killing samurai on both sides after the outcome had been decided.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
There are no canons of forgery in Quintilian’s Institutes or Cicero.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 18 May 2026
Legend has it that the residents snuffed out their candles and strategically hung lanterns high in trees around the community so the enemy would think the buildings were on a hill and the canons would miss their targets in the early morning darkness.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
The attack was massive, involving nearly 50,000 infantry and cavalry as well as 58 canons.
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
Solak continued, saying that Smith’s arrest would be investigated by diocese officials and follow church canons that handle clergy misconduct.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
But learning other canons isn’t a bad way to start.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Both male and female idols (and the crowds) are drenched by water canons throughout the festival.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025
It is eventually revealed that Kawaji was also the man who gave the order to fire canons at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, killing samurai on both sides after the outcome had been decided.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
There are no canons of forgery in Quintilian’s Institutes or Cicero.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canons
Noun
-
Assayas’s aesthetic is too genteel to even imagine the specifics of loathsome doctrines.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
The democratization of drone warfare complicates traditional counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, requiring new doctrines, technologies, and legislative frameworks to confront the evolving threat landscape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The federal lawsuit filed last November and amended in March lists as its defendants Proctor; MSP Sgt.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
My mother’s course of study probably furnished them both with lists of novels and critical texts to spend their days with.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The policies proposed by the candidates range from eliminating key environmental laws to providing free childcare and college tuition.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
But the way telemedicine is practiced varies widely, and state laws largely dictate rules that telehealth providers must follow.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
-
The three listings are expected to tally as much as hundreds of billions of dollars in massive sales, both an opportunity for everyday investors to buy into some of the buzziest AI startups and a major test of the market’s appetite for AI firms.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Boston, the lone plaintiff in the lawsuit, asserted that the measure violates the state and federal constitutions and targets Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of those elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
In the 1890s, at the height of the Gilded Age, Southern states rewrote their constitutions to disenfranchise poor whites and Black citizens alike, specifically to crush the rising Populist movement.—
Sarita Gupta,
Time,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Makes sense that this is a the Mandarin, an Asian group with different codes for luxury.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Companies can’t hand over important access codes to unsecured AI agents, making cyber a key component of AI infrastructure.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canons. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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