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
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
The Stockholm Series reminded me that one function of canons is to create solidarity.
—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
Peppard believes that before organizations can deliver on the transformational potential of AI, or indeed any transformational technology, there are multiple canons defining the dominant orthodoxy that must be tackled head-on.
—Randy Bean, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
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
The Stockholm Series reminded me that one function of canons is to create solidarity.
—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
Peppard believes that before organizations can deliver on the transformational potential of AI, or indeed any transformational technology, there are multiple canons defining the dominant orthodoxy that must be tackled head-on.
—Randy Bean, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canons
Noun
-
If America is to preserve its liberty, conservative legal scholars and judges will need to adjust to a new reality and revisit doctrines that no longer serve to protect the constitutional structure.—
Gregg Nunziata,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
When citizens insist on shaping the basic terms of social life by appealing to premises that others cannot reasonably be expected to accept—revelation, doctrines of transcendence, private moral visions—the result is not a purer politics but a dangerously brittle one.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the ballyhooed prospects, the ones who earned spots on top 100 lists and were viewed as jewels of some of the Marlins’ biggest trades, are still trying to lift their numbers to respectable levels.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
-
Two scouts had Rosario on their top-5 lists.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Becerra proposes to require cities and counties to approve or deny building permits within 90 days, loosening certain regulations for infill projects and reforming construction defect laws to encourage more construction of entry-level condos.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The proposal would allow NYC a pilot program requiring the installation of technology that detects speed, and slows drivers down, particularly those who have a long rap sheet of breaking speeding laws.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That was nearly six times the amount raised and three times the number of new listings in the same period last year, KPMG said.—
Justina Lee,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The court noted that partisan gerrymandering claims could continue to be decided in state courts under their own constitutions and laws.—
David A. Lieb,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Homeowner preferences hard-coded into state constitutions decades ago now further sustain the gerontocracy.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Connecticut updates its state building and fire codes every four years, and those rules govern many of the details on how new development goes up in the state.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Kelsey Arends, senior staff attorney for Nebraska Appleseed, an advocacy group, said the state’s long list of medical billing codes for conditions that would be exempted is still not long enough.—
Phil Galewitz,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canons. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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