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
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
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
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
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
-
The incident — and how it was handled by the the sport’s governing body, the International Flipper Pinball Association — tilted a friendly community into turmoil.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But those squishier methods might be better suited for an era when the power dynamic isn’t tilted so heavily in bosses’ favor.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Darnold had been fighting through an oblique issue.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The cars were situated on a little plateau, almost a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by downward sloping terrain.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Low fence markers can be seen outlining the building zone along Route 2, which slopes along open land, wooded patches and some ravines.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Their test setup involved a ramp containing sand to simulate sloping dunes on Mars.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Just down the street, the Black Forest Inn is also leaning into service, offering coffee, soup and a warm place to gather.—
Derek James,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of reinventing its brand to appeal to younger wine drinkers, Jordan has leaned deeper into food—because food is the universal entry point.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
27 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
-
Bashar is on the left, his body slightly angled away, his face uneasy.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Now imagine the same with some of those teary eyes angled down toward glowing screens, while others frame the bride with their phones.—
Nikita Khanna,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cant. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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