Thesaurus results for CANAL

canal

noun

kə-ˈnal

Definition of canal

as in aqueduct

an open man-made passageway for water the Panama Canal opened a much easier and shorter passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of canal The waterway expands China’s extensive network of canals, some of them 1,000 years old. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2026 The bones are impressive, with rare, double frontage onto two canals, and countless freschi, mosaics and other historic holdovers from its centuries as a noble home. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026 The mother of a Miami-Dade teacher who mysteriously vanished and was later found in a canal walked into a courtroom on Friday, seeking an end to the years-long court proceedings. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 The canal authority said operations were continuing as normal and that staff were inspecting facilities for damage. — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for canal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canal

Noun

The crystalline waters of the reservoir provide drinking water for more than 3 million people in 53 communities in eastern Massachusetts, fed by a subterranean, gravitational aqueduct.

— Chris Tanaka, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
The aqueduct seemed to make the city’s founding river not just obsolete but dangerous, so construction began on catch basins, dams and reservoirs.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of aqueduct

Noun

The other two organizations focus on protecting waterways and aquatic ecosystems, including the Harpeth River, where Janson lives.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Torrential rain has pushed all three waterways higher for days, spilling them over their banks in northeastern Argentina, southern Paraguay and western Uruguay.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of waterway

Browse Nearby Words

canailles

canal

canalize

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of canal

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on canal

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes