as in inclination
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon
a steep cant of the riverbank at that turn in the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in deception
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have
many accused the evangelist of cant, since his lavish lifestyle seemed to bear little resemblance to what he was preaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field
the colorful cant used by movie producers and publicity agents in Hollywood
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in leaning
running in a slanting direction
the cant buttresses on the interior walls are made of solid oak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cant
Literary Hub, 29 Oct. 2025
If thieves’ cant—a language known only to criminals—was the Devil’s cabinet, bourgeois society couldn’t help but peep inside.
—JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2024
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Verdier’s most notable innovation is the use of a canting keel as the support for one of the foils, with the other two contact points being a foil on the rudder and, alternately, the two lateral foils.
—Bill Springer, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Verdier’s innovative design will use a canting keel as the support for one of the foils, with the other two contact points being a foil on the rudder and the two lateral foils.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2025
The cockpit is canted towards the driver and the warm glow of the ambient lights bathe the cabin in red.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
While Cahan’s novella canted toward Jake’s perspective, Rothstein’s play is an unabashedly feminist-forward retelling.
—Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Sharply angled surfaces, called chines, run from the nose to the air intakes on either side of the lower fuselage; chines then run further back from those intakes to the wings and to twin tail fins, which are slightly canted from the vertical.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2020
Noun
In the past, most serious coppice-workers divided the underwood into sections (known variously as panels, cants, fells, coupes, sales, burrows, and haggs), each containing a range of species on different cycles, so guaranteeing a crop every year.
—Literary Hub, 29 Oct. 2025
If thieves’ cant—a language known only to criminals—was the Devil’s cabinet, bourgeois society couldn’t help but peep inside.
—JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2024
Verb
Alex stood across the living room, his head canted down and his eyes fixated on a carousel of TikTok videos emanating from his mother’s cellphone.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Verdier’s most notable innovation is the use of a canting keel as the support for one of the foils, with the other two contact points being a foil on the rudder and, alternately, the two lateral foils.
—Bill Springer, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Verdier’s innovative design will use a canting keel as the support for one of the foils, with the other two contact points being a foil on the rudder and the two lateral foils.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2025
The cockpit is canted towards the driver and the warm glow of the ambient lights bathe the cabin in red.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
While Cahan’s novella canted toward Jake’s perspective, Rothstein’s play is an unabashedly feminist-forward retelling.
—Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Sharply angled surfaces, called chines, run from the nose to the air intakes on either side of the lower fuselage; chines then run further back from those intakes to the wings and to twin tail fins, which are slightly canted from the vertical.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cant
Verb
-
But there is a difference between accountability and impatience, and right now the balance is tilted too far in the wrong direction.—
Mike Straw,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Year by year, under the influence of a movement sometimes known as Free Vermont, the stalwartly Republican state, which had voted for Richard Nixon by a wide margin in 1960, tilted further to the left.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Darnold, who had been listed as questionable because of an oblique injury, guided the Seahawks on two more scoring drives before San Francisco got on the board with the first of its two field goals.—
Andrew Destin,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2026
-
However, oblique impacts – landing at an angle – can lead to abrupt stops that cause the brain to rotate inside the skull, leading to a higher number of traumatic brain injuries.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Eaton Canyon, gently sloping trails lead to a waterfall tucked away in the forest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The property abuts a sloping canyon.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Their test setup involved a ramp containing sand to simulate sloping dunes on Mars.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The short program — which caps at two minutes, 40 seconds — leans as much on precision and storytelling as jumps.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Kosmera Nebula 1 is a four-door electric concept that leans toward supercar proportions rather than a traditional sedan layout.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Each wing was connected to the main structure with long colonnades, hidden from street view by trees and sloped lawns.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Inside, its sloped rooflines, expansive windows, and original stone fireplace made an immediate impression.—
Kristen Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In a conventional turbine, blades are angled to deflect fluid flow and convert kinetic energy into mechanical work.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This usually involves new walls, ceilings, floors, angled sound attenuation, and even sound dampeners.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cant. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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