as in to use
to remove parts from a machine, car, etc., to repair or build another one
He cannibalized one washing machine to fix another. Many parts of the engine were cannibalized from older cars.
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Recent Examples of cannibalize
In other words, the risk of cannibalizing the ratings at the local stations likely outweighs the benefits of expanding the race’s streaming reach.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Some programmers have started to warn that similar advances could cannibalize all kinds of knowledge work.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
For Toyota to possibly cannibalize Tacoma performance for the sake of a new, likely lower-margin model seems trivial at best.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
The beatdown on Alphabet shares came despite better-than-forecast revenue growth that indicates the company’s advertising sales are in no way being cannibalized by consumer adoption of AI, including its own Gemini AI chatbot and its AI Mode in Google Search.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Some programmers have started to warn that similar advances could cannibalize all kinds of knowledge work.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
For Toyota to possibly cannibalize Tacoma performance for the sake of a new, likely lower-margin model seems trivial at best.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
The beatdown on Alphabet shares came despite better-than-forecast revenue growth that indicates the company’s advertising sales are in no way being cannibalized by consumer adoption of AI, including its own Gemini AI chatbot and its AI Mode in Google Search.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
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Building and construction unions no longer can use their old rhetorical cudgel in this debate — calling prefab homes flimsy and unsafe.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.—
Caroline Fraser,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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FiberColors builds on the success of Archroma’s EarthColors platform, which has now been adopted by more than 50 global brands resulting over 60 tons of plant residue from the herbal and pharmaceutical industries being recycled.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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