as in aqueducts
an open man-made passageway for water
the Panama Canal opened a much easier and shorter passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific
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Recent Examples of canals
And even in winter, boating offers a new perspective on the city, particularly during the annual Light Festival, a free open-air festival of light installations along the canals.
—
Georgina Ustik, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Lumberyards, flour mills, livestock auctions, and other industries popped up, while irrigation canals were built quickly to support the region’s expanding agricultural community.
—Northwest River Partners, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Most people associate the Netherlands with canals, stroopwafels, and pancake-flat landscapes—but its highest point isn’t in Europe at all.
—James Barrett, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
Delhi was designed around its banks in the 17th century, when the river fed the canals that cooled royal palaces.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
After the canals were finished, many settled in Mexicali and started restaurants and other small businesses in La Chinesca (Chinatown).
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Rainfall, irrigation and drainage can transport phosphorus – either dissolved in water or attached to eroded soil particles – into nearby canals, streams, rivers and lakes.
—Dinesh Phuyal, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
These joints were also designed to be lockable for bridging wide anti-tank ditches or canals.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
Fort Lauderdale offers a burgeoning food scene, several museums, 24 miles of beachfront, and gondola rides on the canals.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Georgina Ustik, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Lumberyards, flour mills, livestock auctions, and other industries popped up, while irrigation canals were built quickly to support the region’s expanding agricultural community.
—Northwest River Partners, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Most people associate the Netherlands with canals, stroopwafels, and pancake-flat landscapes—but its highest point isn’t in Europe at all.
—James Barrett, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
Delhi was designed around its banks in the 17th century, when the river fed the canals that cooled royal palaces.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
After the canals were finished, many settled in Mexicali and started restaurants and other small businesses in La Chinesca (Chinatown).
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Rainfall, irrigation and drainage can transport phosphorus – either dissolved in water or attached to eroded soil particles – into nearby canals, streams, rivers and lakes.
—Dinesh Phuyal, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
These joints were also designed to be lockable for bridging wide anti-tank ditches or canals.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
Fort Lauderdale offers a burgeoning food scene, several museums, 24 miles of beachfront, and gondola rides on the canals.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canals
Noun
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Architects have found evidence of their use in the pyramids of Egypt and the buildings and aqueducts of the Roman Empire.—
Alcina Johnson Sudagar,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
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There are the remains of seven aqueducts in the park, including the Felice (or Felix) Aqueduct, built in the 1580s.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The fish keep the 131-mile maze of waterways clear for the millions of residents who depend on it for water.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The river and many waterways in Maryland had been frozen due to the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern, Maryland's biggest winter storm in a decade.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canals. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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