1
as in to stop
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to remove
to let go from office, service, or employment
the cashier was summarily canned for stealing from the registers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the racketeers were rounded up and thrown in the can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in restroom
a room furnished with a fixture for flushing body waste
I excused myself and asked if I could use the can
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in seat
the part of the body upon which someone sits
he fell on the ice and landed on his can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of can
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Crack into a can of craft beer, gaze at the wall plastered with polaroids of smiling patrons, and tuck into an engrossing read on one of the tweed armchairs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Paint doesn’t last forever, and keeping old cans around can be both a safety hazard and a waste of space.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Turn a jar of your favorite salsa, a can of Southwestern-style corn, and some cream cheese into your new weeknight go-to dinner.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for can
Noun
His modest production is a concern, but speed and athletic ability can’t be taught; technique can.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Crack into a can of craft beer, gaze at the wall plastered with polaroids of smiling patrons, and tuck into an engrossing read on one of the tweed armchairs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Paint doesn’t last forever, and keeping old cans around can be both a safety hazard and a waste of space.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Turn a jar of your favorite salsa, a can of Southwestern-style corn, and some cream cheese into your new weeknight go-to dinner.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for can
Recent Examples of Synonyms for can
Verb
-
Quin Snyder’s Towns wrinkle stalled the Knicks briefly, then stopped working.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The workers get ordered to start jobs, stop jobs, ignore jobs and are other things that turn them into ping pong balls, with the Butleys and the del Valles as the paddles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Robinson was among 425 volunteers spreading out from four different locations on Saturday throughout Waukegan, removing trash from the lakefront, the city’s downtown and its neighborhoods, ending eight days of active environmental stewardship during the city’s fifth-annual Earth Week cleanup.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Creamy, hydrating cleansers maintain the moisture barrier while still removing dirt and makeup effectively.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Line a 22 cm (8½ inch) round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For metal containers, like those above, drill drainage holes in the bottoms and three holes in the front of each container, and then use tin snips to cut out triangular openings that are large enough to fit one plant.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
He had been booked into the jail in late November on a probation violation warrant.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
She was booked into the county jail and released on $1,000 bond.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That qualifies as a bold move in an era when legendary and up-and-coming artists alike often hesitate to perform even one or two songs from their latest albums — the better to avoid an exodus of attendees making a beeline for refreshments, restrooms or the merch booths.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Both will offer community booths, family-friendly programming and cultural activities, along with restrooms, free water refilling stations, basic bike repair and first aid, organizers said.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 20,062-seat stadium has a Petco Park vibe, from the artwork and nods to the team’s history located throughout the stadium.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In advance of the Florida Legislature meeting next week to redraw congressional districts, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is decrying the move as a partisan effort to eliminate Democratic seats.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hollis then began posting occasional pictures of Pino from his Facebook page onto her own Facebook page, despite a judge’s order to cease.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Updates slowed after the original creators left the project, and new releases ceased entirely around 2007.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That lawsuit, along with a countersuit by the PGA Tour, was dismissed a year later.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
There’s too much effort, too much time, and too much sincerity apparent behind this film to dismiss it outright.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Can.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/can. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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