can 1 of 2

verb

ˈkan How to pronounce can (audio)
Definition of cannext
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

can

2 of 2

noun

ˈkan How to pronounce can (audio)
1
as in tin
a metal container in the shape of a cylinder the shelter stores huge cans of water for an emergency

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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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of can
Noun
Volunteers spread out in a line and walk the field holding a rope lined with clanking cans. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026 Also sent to the garbage via Stop Sales were dented cans of pineapple juice, oyster sauce and bean sauce. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 The same thinking applies to the tomato paste left in a can or the extra chicken breast in a package. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 At a local Autozone there was a run on gas cans as people rushed to purchase fuel to power their generators. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for can
Recent Examples of Synonyms for can
  1. stop
  2. remove
  3. tin
  4. jail
  5. restroom
  6. seat
  7. cease
  8. dismiss
Verb
  • Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo XIV's physician, said the pontiff's recovery from lung cancer surgery won't stop plans for a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru involving a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Another to stop solving problems his team brings him and teach them to solve it instead.
    — Ben Plomion, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of stop
Verb
  • The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of remove
Noun
  • Thanks in part to that retirement party, Sacramento library patrons can check out hundreds of different pans, muffin tins and cookie cutters from the Shari Nichelini Cake Pan Library.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Her home is built of tin and a tarp, constructed under a flyover in the capital New Delhi.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tin
Noun
  • The report examined publicly available FBI and immigration arrest data and does not include details about whether charges were dropped or if people served any time in jail or prison.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Look, the Kansas Bill of Rights clearly says you cannot be arrested or thrown in jail because of indebtedness.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of jail
Noun
  • This woman couldn't point to one place in the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, or the Declaration of Independence that proves her claim that males have the right to compete in women's sports or use women's restrooms.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • To oppose the company’s decision to change its open door policy, meaning people who don’t buy anything can’t use the restroom.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of restroom
Noun
  • Miller’s calculated the percentage chance that all 35 seats in play will go blue or red virtually in real time.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Jeffries will campaign with Johnny Garcia, who’s running a competitive race in one of those seats where Republicans initially expected an easier pickup (after already forcing one longtime Democratic incumbent to retire).
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of seat
Verb
  • After Epstein's 2019 arrest, federal prosecutors asked New Mexico to cease its own investigation of Epstein's activities in New Mexico.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • After dramatically reducing the number of children in hotels over the past three years, DHS ceased the practice entirely in November 2025.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of cease
Verb
  • Ben-Gvir dismisses concerns that such policies would cement Israel’s status as a pariah state.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Lower courts had dismissed the case because Asian American students were not underrepresented at the magnet schools compared with the pool of students that applied.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismiss

Browse Nearby Words

campy
can
can't-miss
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Cite this Entry

“Can.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/can. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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