1
as in doctrines
a statement or body of statements concerning faith or morals proclaimed by a church
members of the church must abide by its canons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in lists
a record of a series of items (as names or titles) usually arranged according to some system
the canon of plays that are attributed to William Shakespeare
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in laws
a collection or system of rules of conduct
the ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility is a lawyer's canon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canons
The Stockholm Series reminded me that one function of canons is to create solidarity.
—
Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Both male and female idols (and the crowds) are drenched by water canons throughout the festival.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025
It is eventually revealed that Kawaji was also the man who gave the order to fire canons at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, killing samurai on both sides after the outcome had been decided.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
There are no canons of forgery in Quintilian’s Institutes or Cicero.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Confetti canons shot out glittering rainbows, and Derevjanik began to dance around, shouting in glee.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
On Tuesday, the District Administration Office in Kathmandu said government forces used water canons, tear gas, and rubber bullets in an attempt to clamp down on protests.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Peppard believes that before organizations can deliver on the transformational potential of AI, or indeed any transformational technology, there are multiple canons defining the dominant orthodoxy that must be tackled head-on.
—Randy Bean, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Police used water canons and fired rounds of tear gas to push back the demonstrators, who hurled bottles, rocks and flares at them.
—CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Both male and female idols (and the crowds) are drenched by water canons throughout the festival.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025
It is eventually revealed that Kawaji was also the man who gave the order to fire canons at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, killing samurai on both sides after the outcome had been decided.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
There are no canons of forgery in Quintilian’s Institutes or Cicero.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Confetti canons shot out glittering rainbows, and Derevjanik began to dance around, shouting in glee.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
On Tuesday, the District Administration Office in Kathmandu said government forces used water canons, tear gas, and rubber bullets in an attempt to clamp down on protests.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Peppard believes that before organizations can deliver on the transformational potential of AI, or indeed any transformational technology, there are multiple canons defining the dominant orthodoxy that must be tackled head-on.
—Randy Bean, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Police used water canons and fired rounds of tear gas to push back the demonstrators, who hurled bottles, rocks and flares at them.
—CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canons
Noun
-
Those in support of the bill argue that the Bible's teachings informed the nation's core doctrines, and that the Ten Commandments offer needed moral reinforcement for schoolchildren.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Legal challenges to constitutional doctrines underpinning the modern American administrative state wend their way through increasingly sympathetic courts, promising sweeping changes to the ways our most important institutions act.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Phone numbers often come from unrelated data breaches and marketing lists.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Wickham, who welcomes Mottley’s commitment to electoral reform, said there is an issue with electoral voter lists throughout the region that needs to be addressed.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Straight men, in particular, are only talked about, kept in the background, or appearing as authority figures trying to uphold absurd laws and traditions.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Often, competitive incentives offered by state governments, state laws that are less friendly to labor unions than many northern states and access to major transportation networks are among the reasons behind the industry’s rise in the South.—
Brian Moody,
AJC.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors.—
Caitlin Morton,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In the past five years, according to one listings website, Silvia, a rookie agent with limited English, has sold a hundred and sixty-two properties in the greater Los Angeles area, worth a total of a hundred and twenty million dollars.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Thirty-seven states have Blaine Amendments in their constitutions.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Modern authoritarianism does not announce itself with tanks in the streets or the suspension of constitutions.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The walls are papered with Venmo codes for donations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The other important part is whether building and fire codes allow the type of structure that makes sense for the site.—
Waleed Albakry,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canons. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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