1
as in stops
slang
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
can the chatter, or I'm kicking you out of this library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sacks
to let go from office, service, or employment
the cashier was summarily canned for stealing from the registers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the racketeers were rounded up and thrown in the can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in restrooms
a room furnished with a fixture for flushing body waste
I excused myself and asked if I could use the can
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in seats
the part of the body upon which someone sits
he fell on the ice and landed on his can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cans
Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
Southern Style Nuts, Gourmet Hunter Mix, 23-ounce jars with best by dates 01/28/27, 02/05/27, 02/12/27, 02/17/27, 03/03/27, 03/14/27; 36-ounce cans, with best by dates 12/FEB/2027, 26/FEB/2027, 13/MAR/2027, and 02/APR/2027.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Komodo dragons in the National Zoo in Washington, DC, interact with novel objects in their enclosures — pieces of wood, balls, soda cans, cardboard boxes — with an intense curiosity more befitting a dog than other lizards.
—Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026
The girls, buzzed on miniature cans of soda, lingered in the liminal space between rolling credits and parental pickup.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Crushing soda cans for science Who doesn’t love to watch those YouTube videos of people using hydraulics to crush a variety of objects?
—ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
These are solid cans with comfortable fit, generous padding on both the earcups and headband, and a versatile companion app that gives you lots of equalizer control over your sound profile.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
As an America250 signature partner, Coca-Cola's special packaging will include special bottles and Coca-Cola's first-ever America250 collectible mini-cans.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Each time, the friends put down their cans of Miller Lite and happily obliged.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Noun
Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
Southern Style Nuts, Gourmet Hunter Mix, 23-ounce jars with best by dates 01/28/27, 02/05/27, 02/12/27, 02/17/27, 03/03/27, 03/14/27; 36-ounce cans, with best by dates 12/FEB/2027, 26/FEB/2027, 13/MAR/2027, and 02/APR/2027.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Komodo dragons in the National Zoo in Washington, DC, interact with novel objects in their enclosures — pieces of wood, balls, soda cans, cardboard boxes — with an intense curiosity more befitting a dog than other lizards.
—Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026
The girls, buzzed on miniature cans of soda, lingered in the liminal space between rolling credits and parental pickup.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Crushing soda cans for science Who doesn’t love to watch those YouTube videos of people using hydraulics to crush a variety of objects?
—ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
These are solid cans with comfortable fit, generous padding on both the earcups and headband, and a versatile companion app that gives you lots of equalizer control over your sound profile.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
As an America250 signature partner, Coca-Cola's special packaging will include special bottles and Coca-Cola's first-ever America250 collectible mini-cans.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Each time, the friends put down their cans of Miller Lite and happily obliged.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cans
Verb
-
Luke then successfully stops two blasts from the training remote while not being able to see.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
-
Kathryn Stockett, who published her blockbuster novel The Help in 2009, is back with her first new book in 17 years—The Calamity Club—and she’s headed to Alabama on one of her first book tour stops.—
Southern Living Editors,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Manning, back for what is probably his final season, is on the short list of best returning quarterbacks in the country and edge rusher Colin Simmons won the SEC sacks title with 12.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Riley Moss sacks a scrambling Trevor Lawrence on third-and-4 for a 1-yard loss.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Clynelish 1983 is another 42-year-old whisky, aged entirely in bourbon barrels resulting in big tropical fruit notes like pineapple and mango, along with honey and vanilla.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
7 May 2026
-
Valero’s Pembroke refinery in the United Kingdom processes 270,000 barrels per day to produce gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products.—
Robert Romano,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The field office constantly coördinated with local social-services agencies, hospitals, funeral homes, jails.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
It was not considered controversial when the Obama administration placed immigration enforcement officials in county jails to coordinate the removal of individuals convicted of serious crimes, so that same level of cooperation should not be controversial today.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Self-cleaning and self-maintaining public restrooms do exist, and other communities in the nation use them.—
Michael Perkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
Officials also constructed new restrooms and concession stands.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
That vibe lives on at Jacaranda, with just 30 seats up for grabs, including a six-seat communal table.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
7 May 2026
-
Lorenzen’s night began ominously when Juan Soto hit Lorenzen’s third pitch of the game 435 feet and into the left-centerfield seats.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
What happens once the tour wraps, the season ends, the algorithm cools or the headlines wane?—
Sandra Richards,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
-
The Senate passed its own version of the larger health bill so both chambers will have to find compromise before session ends May 18.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
While the norm is that a toner should be an astringent that removes grime and dirt while balancing the pH, Korean toners work to give the skin instant hydration as the first step after cleansing with a face wash.—
Rosa Jisoo Pyo,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
Our other favorite pet hair removers This device removes pet hair from all kinds of fabrics without snagging them.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cans. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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