as in to use
to remove parts from a machine, car, etc., to repair or build another one
He cannibalized one washing machine to fix another. Many parts of the engine were cannibalized from older cars.
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Recent Examples of cannibalize
According to the researchers, this strategy allowed the male octopuses to mate with the females without being cannibalized.
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Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2025
Bone collectors will target and kill weakened or slow-moving insects, even hunting and cannibalizing their own kind.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2025
Tourists flocked to the new service that cannibalized the city’s maritime sightseeing industry.
—Tom Fox, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
The good news is that the mechanicals are robust, and those parts are plentiful, so apart from rust and the challenge of obtaining trim and pieces unique to the model (serious enthusiasts may want to buy a second Scorpion to cannibalize), these are really delightful cars.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2025
Bone collectors will target and kill weakened or slow-moving insects, even hunting and cannibalizing their own kind.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2025
Tourists flocked to the new service that cannibalized the city’s maritime sightseeing industry.
—Tom Fox, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
The good news is that the mechanicals are robust, and those parts are plentiful, so apart from rust and the challenge of obtaining trim and pieces unique to the model (serious enthusiasts may want to buy a second Scorpion to cannibalize), these are really delightful cars.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalize
Verb
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The initiative draws water from the L.A. River in downtown L.A., cleans it and uses it to irrigate Los Angeles State Historic Park.—
Lucy Handley,
CNBC,
1 June 2025
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Administration officials initially weighed using Section 122 to impose higher tariffs but decided not to, due to the 150-day limit.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
Verb
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The rules also leave open the possibility of using chemical or alternative recycling as a method for dealing with plastics that can’t be recycled via mechanical means, said people representing environmental, recycling and waste hauling companies and organizations.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
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Maguire got booked for a faint tug on his fellow centre-back, who had tumbled in the box in a similar scenario to win his team a foul and stop United from recycling the ball.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalize. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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