cant 1 of 4

noun (1)

Definition of cantnext
as in inclination
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon a steep cant of the riverbank at that turn in the river

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cant

2 of 4

noun (2)

1
as in deception
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have many accused the evangelist of cant, since his lavish lifestyle seemed to bear little resemblance to what he was preaching

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2
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field the colorful cant used by movie producers and publicity agents in Hollywood

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cant

3 of 4

adjective

as in leaning
running in a slanting direction the cant buttresses on the interior walls are made of solid oak

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cant

4 of 4

verb

as in to tilt
to set or cause to be at an angle carefully canted the ladder against the wall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cant
Noun
The front end has a shark nose design and the top edge of the hood cants foward. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 21 May 2026 The fairway cants to the right. — ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
The cabin of a Lusso is a special place, notable for its dash, which prominently positions the huge speedometer and tach centrally and canted toward the driver. — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026 Alex stood across the living room, his head canted down and his eyes fixated on a carousel of TikTok videos emanating from his mother’s cellphone. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cant
  1. inclination
  2. deception
  3. terminology
  4. oblique
  5. tilt
  6. slope
  7. deceit
  8. vocabulary
Noun
  • At Roberto Cavalli, makeup artist Yadim had the same inclination for highly pigmented metallic shades, a choice that punctuated key looks also at Jil Sander.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI’s closest rival, Anthropic, has shown no inclination to delay its own IPO, which is expected sometime before year’s end.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • Hosted by Alan Cumming, the social deduction game follows a group of contestants (who are sometimes celebrities) engaging in a Mafia or Werewolf-style game of deception.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • With shifting alliances and deception, only the most calculating player will survive to win it all, per the logline.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Titles, descriptions and other metadata for older videos and podcasts may also be revised to reflect the new terminology, while the original recordings, transcripts and captions will remain unchanged.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That terminology provides a way to identify how a medication is designed without turning the description into a judgment about treatment quality.
    — Emma Clapp, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of terminology
Adjective
  • At best, the invitation to become a white-leader draws an oblique link between white paint and the discourse of racial discrimination.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Reaves missed those games — and his shot at his first All-NBA and All-Star selections — because of right groin soreness in November, a left calf strain in December and January, and a left oblique strain in April.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of oblique
Verb
  • Technological dominance has been tilting toward Moscow of late, exposing Ukraine’s vulnerability to Russia’s relentlessly modernizing war machine.
    — Gerard Toal, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But even those examples fall far short of the sort of figures that would tilt the scales in any outcomes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of tilt
Noun
  • From shredding the slopes in the winter to floating on the water in the summer, the unofficial capital of the Sierra Nevada sees outdoorsy travelers constantly flocking to its campsites and cabins.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The land on which Thwaites sits slopes downward, meaning as the glacier melts, more ice is exposed to warm ocean water.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of slope
Noun
  • The best way Ray can think of to do so is to tail her shady husband, Dom (Bobby Cannavale) — all the way into a sordid (but still vaguely family-friendly) web of deceit, murder, blackmail and gangland drama.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • These rosy reveries gradually darken as Wilde remembers succumbing to hedonism, deceit, debt, and disgrace.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • Together, the works suggest that preserving craft requires more than maintaining its technical vocabulary.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Luxury menswear’s customer base and vocabulary were both shifting permanently.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of vocabulary

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cant
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Cite this Entry

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

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cant

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