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
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 canons
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
Confetti canons shot out glittering rainbows, and Derevjanik began to dance around, shouting in glee.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Confetti canons shot out glittering rainbows, and Derevjanik began to dance around, shouting in glee.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 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
-
Carpenter has largely performed well on the company's pop lists and those that don't focus on just one style, but lately, it's been all about dance music.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
Elsewhere Ritchie summarizes like an AI overview, with generic phases of the extraction plan, endlessly rehearsed in montages, broken down on screen, in large-font lists.—
Michael Phillips,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Similar laws are on the books in Europe, and there’s no evidence that prices have gone up because of them.—
Justin Sanchez,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
In addition, this legislation could provide leaders with protection on state laws pertaining to NIL, which has led to lawsuits and a plethora of disagreements.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Yes—Conrad Spa, plus resort-wide fitness options All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
-
Posting Growth tracks the percentage change in job listings over three years, showing which fields are actively expanding their workforces.—
ByBryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The Supreme Court tries to avoid second-guessing state courts' interpretations of their own constitutions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
-
The Supreme Court tries to avoid second-guessing state courts’ interpretations of their own constitutions.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Full mitigation instructions, including all necessary command-line codes, are included in the advisory.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Named Les Ateliers Gaultier, the line is a tribute to the couture side of the fashion house, nodding to its founder and his codes in the names and bottles of the six scents in the range.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canons. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
