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
as in rot
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canker
Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
Most of the mature chestnut trees had vanished — the victim of canker fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for canker
Verb
The canker fungus lives on in the inner bark of fledgling trees and encircles the stem.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
Most of the mature chestnut trees had vanished — the victim of canker fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
Start by removing all blighted twigs and cankered branches 6 to 10 inches below the edge of visible infection.
—Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for canker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canker
Verb
-
Silverstein poisons her argument, and thus grossly diminishes it, by introducing these political considerations that have nothing to do with antisemitism.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 July 2025
-
The algae have poisoned more than 4,500 square kilometers (1,737 square miles) of the state’s waters – an area larger than Rhode Island – littering beaches with carcasses and ravaging an area known for its diversity.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
Gi-hun’s Christ-like sacrifice can only do so much—the rot is worldwide.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
For me, no scent will ever capture the promise of freedom and transgression and youthful reinvention quite like the sweet rot of New York City garbage on a summer night in, say, the East Village.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
When politicians—rather than professionals—can select which types of research can be funded and how that money can be spent based on their own preferences, the entire pursuit of knowledge is corrupted.—
Brian Sandberg,
Time,
16 July 2025
-
Any profession can corrupt its practitioners — and arts critics are no exception.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
Noun
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The decay of marketing effects varies by channel, audience, creative, season and competitive context.—
Cody Greco,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
Although abrupt, the decision follows years of concern about the decay of U.S. Antarctic scientific infrastructure, exacerbated by hesitations from both agencies about starting big new projects in the face of ongoing federal budget uncertainty.—
Nadia Drake,
Scientific American,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Poor sizing can result in uneven temperatures, higher utility bills, potentially shorter equipment lifespan, and degraded indoor air quality.—
Brynn Cooksey,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
In April, Hamdan Ballal, another of the film’s co-directors, was beaten and degraded by Israeli settlers, then blindfolded and detained at an army base, only weeks after winning an Oscar.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
In 2012: Astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman to travel into space, died at age 61 of pancreatic cancer.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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Chronic, long-term, regular, or cumulative exposure to ALAN may even be a risk factor for certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.—
Laurie Winkless,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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While the fintech company presents a mixed investment profile with strong balance sheet metrics offset by deteriorating growth and profitability challenges, the index inclusion provides near-term support for a stock that has demonstrated extreme volatility lately.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
The rallies are borne of a deep dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, the deteriorating quality of public services, the administration’s overzealous approach to taxation, and police brutality.—
Ken Opalo,
semafor.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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His novels explore the moral squalor of all wars, justified or not.—
Rav Grewal-Kök
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
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The film’s sheer, unrelenting squalor can wear you down, too.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Canker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canker. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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