canker 1 of 2

verb

Definition of cankernext
as in to poison
to lower in character, dignity, or quality such shameless ambulance chasing cankers the legal profession

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

canker

2 of 2

noun

as in rot

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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 canker
Noun
Recognize bacterial canker by the dead branches covered by sap drippings. — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Feb. 2026 This damages the trunk and leaves an ugly, elongated canker that invites insects and stresses the tree, leading to stunted growth, sparse foliage, and stem dieback. — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026 Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more). — New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026 Even the most superb body begins to diminish in a person’s early 30s, thanks to the onset of sarcopenia, which sounds like a canker but means the incremental decline of muscle mass. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for canker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canker
  1. poison
  2. rot
  3. corrupt
  4. decay
  5. degrade
  6. cancer
  7. deteriorate
  8. squalor
Verb
  • Plus, some samples of Martian soil contain high levels of perchlorates, toxic chemical compounds, also found in rocket fuel, that could potentially poison the planet’s supplies of water and food.
    — Brian Gallagher, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Could something so commonplace really be slowly poisoning people?
    — Sean McCann, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of poison
Noun
  • The atmosphere persists even when the characters are off the air, as if to suggest that the seeping rot of the show has metastasized into every moment of their lives.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The onset of rot is creeping closer and the meat may even begin to stink.
    — Jack Hennessy, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of rot
Verb
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The audience is interacting with an object that had been scanned, that had been corrupted in some way.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Noun
  • Radioisotope power systems convert heat from radioactive decay into electricity.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Conversely, modern concrete is subject to irreversible decay, a form of disintegration owing to its formation as a composite of cement and aggregate materials, such as gravel and sand.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of decay
Verb
  • As a side benefit, because only the tread is in contact with the road, the rest of the tire could be made of non-traditional polymers that don't degrade into tiny particles under force of friction.
    — Ben Coxworth October 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Local farms face ever degrading soil conditions, tougher markets and more extreme weather patterns.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrade
Noun
  • Over 1,500 accelerators are used for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
    — Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Andrew Karpen, the veteran indie executive who launched Bleecker 12 years ago, died in 2025 at the age of 59 after battling brain cancer.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cancer
Verb
  • Meanwhile, at the celebratory crew dinner, the we’re-all-in-this-together vibe starts to deteriorate.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Her condition deteriorated rapidly over the following 48 hours.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorate
Noun
  • The Yolo County parents of a 7-day-old infant found living in squalor in a tent under an overpass have pleaded not guilty to the child endangerment charges against them, records show.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Bryant was charged in February 2025 with first-degree child abuse after investigators found that her children — at the time ages 12, 13, and 15 — had been living alone for at least four years in a townhouse on Lydia Lane, trapped in squalor.
    — Andrea May Sahouri, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of squalor

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canker
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on canker

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about canker

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