canary

noun

kə-ˈner-ē How to pronounce canary (audio)
Definition of canarynext
slang
as in informant
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing a canary who was singing and giving up the names of some of the city's most notorious drug lords

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 canary Interspersed throughout the myriad activations of Monterey Car Week is the most important facet for the collector community, and that’s the array of auctions that serve as either an optimistic barometer reading or an ailing canary in the coal mine. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 2026 Kevin Tubbs grew up in a comfortable suburb outside Omaha, Nebraska, in a canary-yellow ranch house filled with dogs. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Carolina Jessamine This vine with sweet-scented, canary-yellow flowers in the spring is native to the southern United States. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 9 July 2026 She was also spotted at Royal Ascot alongside William, posing for photos in a canary-yellow dress. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for canary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canary
  1. informant
  2. informer
  3. rat
Noun
  • Sentenced to life in prison, Buchanan maintained a grip over gangs in the South Bay area of San Diego, according to an FBI report of an informant’s interview.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sguros was listed as the informant on West’s death certificate, and several months after the initial death investigation, was legally authorized to release West’s remains to a cremation service business.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of informant
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of informer
Noun
  • In 1894 French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin isolated the plague bacterium and connected rat infestations to the disease.
    — Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That money will fund a rat model of Jaxson’s gene mutation, which is expected to be studied at UT Southwestern next year.
    — Ciara McCarthy October 22, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of rat

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Cite this Entry

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

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