1
as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
there's a canned quality to the screenplay that reminds you of countless other action movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drunk
slang
being under the influence of alcohol
Driving home on New Year's Eve, she worried about other drivers who might be canned.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stopped
slang
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
can the chatter, or I'm kicking you out of this library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissed
to let go from office, service, or employment
the cashier was summarily canned for stealing from the registers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canned
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Nonperishables are important for this, so canned and other shelf-stable foods are important to have on standby.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Writers on the verge of cliché should quickly swerve before getting caught in its thought-quashing machine, and readers who come across it should write it off as canned, shopworn, and tired.
—Katie Kadue, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for canned
Adjective
Fresh, store- or restaurant-bought soups may balance convenience and quality, while canned varieties are the most shelf-stable but typically rely on higher sodium levels, preservatives and usually have less to offer nutritionally.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Nonperishables are important for this, so canned and other shelf-stable foods are important to have on standby.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
While the lifestyle coalition pegged mid-single-digit profit at the time, it was deemed a non-core asset and canned seven years later.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Writers on the verge of cliché should quickly swerve before getting caught in its thought-quashing machine, and readers who come across it should write it off as canned, shopworn, and tired.
—Katie Kadue, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for canned
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canned
Adjective
-
Since then, whenever new tools to crank out communications have become available, somebody has flooded the zone with the fastest, most imitative material that could garner attention.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Nov. 2025
-
It may be borrowed or coined, named after a person, inspired by a place or imitative of a sound.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Even Sheriff Taylor had the occasion to welcome someone worse than Otis the town drunk into the Mayberry jail.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Cops quickly determined the 42-year-old suspect was drunk behind the wheel and charged him with driving while intoxicated.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Now polling suggests the public, and even Republican leaders in Congress, have stopped buying the White House’s claims that federal agents’ paramilitary-style raids only target violent criminals.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
They are focused on the human injustices wrought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who have stopped cars on roadsides, rounded up job-seekers and even laid in wait outside hearing rooms to detain people complying with required appearances in immigration court.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Both Beijing and Hong Kong’s government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai’s prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Karklin believes recreational flying and short-distance travel should not be dismissed.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Inspired by the classic French combo of radishes and butter, this Japanese riff opts for daikon, gently pan-fried until hoku-hoku, an onomatopoetic term for foods that are soft, warm, and slightly dry or fluffy.—
Chihiro Tomioka,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Whether they’re served plain, with ham, or with fried chicken, there has to be a basket of biscuits on the table!—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Striking out on his own Kaszas was born in Budapest in May 1987, two years to the week before the Iron Curtain crumbled and Hungary’s Communist regime ceased to exist.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Brazil thus ceased to be a peripheral observer of this geopolitical playbook and became its active protagonist, setting the stage for the doctrine’s most devastating domestic application.—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Law enforcement officers had removed the mouth of the irrigation tube diverting water from a nearby creek, but all the piping remained.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
By Wednesday morning, investigators had left the residence, the scene was cleared, and police tape had been removed.—
Bradford Betz , Matt Finn,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Valentine's Day pagan connections Lupercalia was a debaucherous festival that celebrated the coming of spring that included animal sacrifices and drunken revelry to honor Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some may feel that what Bree is doing — cheating on Evan, and lying to Pippa — is worse than the one-time drunken hookup between Lucy and Evan.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canned. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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