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
ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
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
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026
The center screen is handsomely integrated well below your road-facing sightline, and slightly canted toward the driver for exceptional readability.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 21 Jan. 2026
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
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
The fairway cants to the right.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
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
The cabin of a Lusso is a special place, notable for its dash, which prominently positions the huge speedometer and tach centrally and canted toward the driver.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026
The center screen is handsomely integrated well below your road-facing sightline, and slightly canted toward the driver for exceptional readability.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 21 Jan. 2026
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
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
Noun
-
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, 57, or Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, 45, are both often mentioned as possible firm hands who could steer the party, though neither has shown much inclination to enter the fray this time round.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
-
My inclination would be to say probably not.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
What begins as a small con deepens when the painter’s shrewd agent (Gilles Lellouche) spots an opportunity, encouraging Suzanne to continue the deception as a way to revive his client’s creativity — and bankroll them both.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
-
Olivia Beech, America’s youngest female sommelier, tragically lost her sense of taste during COVID, but relied on her sharp sense of smell until she was fired for her deception.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The terminology was already there.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
11 May 2026
-
Benefit structures also include terminology and rules that require careful interpretation.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
As trade policies have shifted the global trade landscape, Seroka highlighted that Vietnam’s growth as a sourcing hub has tilted the scales in pricing power, while also boosting the reliability of the Southeast Asian nation’s vendors.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
-
His head tilted like a puppy waiting for a treat.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
All sorts of variables are logged if available — altitude, lie, slope.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The comfortable seating area in the living room includes couches and armchairs set in front of the TV and fireplace for relaxing after a day on the slopes, and a dining table provides a nice spot to relax and eat.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The Silicon Valley case remains the center of attention, focused on a 2024 lawsuit filed by Elon Musk that accuses OpenAI of alleged deceit in taking millions from the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX while operating as a nonprofit, only to later pivot into a for-profit enterprise.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
There's everything from resentment to jealousy, favouritism, and deceit swirling around in a boiling-hot cauldron where fair is foul and foul is fair.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
That tension has long been part of Stewart’s red carpet shoe vocabulary.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
16 May 2026
-
Swifties often attempt to speak or sing as Taylor Swift does, employing a similar vocabulary and vocalizations.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Shortstop Mookie Betts played in his first game since sustaining a strained right oblique last month, finishing with a single and throwing out a runner at home.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
When Betts landed on the 10-day IL on April 5 with an oblique strain, the Dodgers elected to platoon the middle infield but anointed Alex Freeland the starting second baseman.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cant. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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