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
-
In the face of difficult definition, one generates lists.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Restricting mail-in voting Trump has also issued an order that threatens states' control over voter lists and interferes with mail-in voting.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Without active enforcement, laws meant to protect people like Esther and the men on that boat remain meaningless.—
Nicole F. Roberts,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The company has called out seven different potential federal laws, like the National Strategy for Combating Scams Act, the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act, and the AI Plan Act.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors.—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
Ticket Scams Fraudsters often create fake ticket websites, counterfeit tickets, and fraudulent social media listings.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
12 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
-
City business license enforcement codes specifically state that the Police Department is responsible for enforcement.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
-
Barbell codes rely on a single long coupler connection for every second qubit, reducing the need for multiple long-range crossing couplers that can complicate chip fabrication.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canons. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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