canaries

plural of canary, slang

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of canaries Astronauts bring them on journeys to keep an eye on whether or not the water filtration systems are working, much the way miners used to take canaries down to the coal mines to check for poisonous gas leaks. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 She’s made room for dozens of pets over the years, ranging from fluffy Chow Chows and Frenchies (her favorite breeds) to canaries, chinchillas, and beautifully fluffy cats. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 11 Sep. 2026 The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 26 June 2026 These living materials could also serve as canaries in the coal mine for water safety, glowing brighter or dimming in the presence of specific toxins. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026 That principle is why coal miners once brought canaries underground, as one emergency medicine doctor explained in a recent court declaration. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026 If canaries in coal mines were harbingers of safe conditions, surely piping plovers at Waukegan Beach mean the city is overcoming its polluted past. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026 The proverbial canaries in coal mines will then cause a recession. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026 Make canaries and rollback standard. — Rahul Dey, Forbes.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canaries
Noun
  • Cseh, the archive's director, said successor governments to dictatorships rarely disclose the names of previous agents and informants, let alone records as detailed as those Hungary is preparing to release.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Of the plants, the informants identified eight that sick elephants appear to target for a specific therapeutic purpose, or what the study suggests is the strongest evidence of intentional self-medication.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Students have drawn attention to rundown classrooms that lack basics such as desks and chairs, become sweltering in summer without air conditioning and, in some cases, are infested with rats.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But of course where there’s one rat, there are usually more, and swarms of rats and an angry sea soon become the man’s antagonists.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Canaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canaries. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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