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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 center screen is handsomely integrated well below your road-facing sightline, and slightly canted toward the driver for exceptional readability. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 21 Jan. 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
  • The ultimate challenge is winning backing from rural states and from Republicans with little inclination to lift a finger for left-leaning Hollywood.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • While your first inclination might be to use a face or body scrub, dermatologists recommend a gentle moisturizer packed with rich emollients and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs).
    — Mary Honkus, Glamour, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • There appears to be no indication the scammer or scammers behind this web of deception are anywhere close to slowing down.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But Richard Adams Locke, who wrote the series, later claimed that deception wasn’t his goal.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • In ordinary tax terminology, income, property, and estate taxes are often described as direct taxes, while sales, excise, and customs duties are generally characterized as indirect taxes.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The platform will allow students to learn circularity terminology, look at design-stage impact decisions, and explore realistic compliance scenarios.
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of terminology
Adjective
  • There was the oblique strain in early April that sidelined him for more than a month.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Other sustaining injuries were linebacker Nick Martin (stinger) and safety Marques Sigle (oblique); cornerback Nate Hobbs did not play because of a groin injury that will keep him out this preseason.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of oblique
Verb
  • This piece then dramatically tilts down joining the rest of the track before the ride car rockets down the vertical drop.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Simashev is excellent defensively and on retrievals and tilts the ice in his favor.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of tilt
Noun
  • Today, mature oaks and decades-old landscaping frame the slope from the home to the water and dock.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The only redeeming aspect of the show happens here, on a ski slope, when their youngest daughter Valentina, who was born with Down syndrome, is treated to a lesson via an adaptive ski school.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of slope
Noun
  • The state alleges OpenAI's rapid success stems from deceit and exploitation, causing widespread harm to Floridians and subverting public order.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Following the pandemic and resurgence of fascism and brutal deceits, and picking up on the discussions of shame found in My 1980s Gayboy Playlist, Ashby has now focused on indignity and intolerance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • The long-form video uses the vocabulary of New Age therapy to achieve satirical retail wellness.
    — Sharon Edelson, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Having never been exposed to pictures, the children invented their own visual vocabulary.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of vocabulary

Browse Nearby Words

cans
cant
cantankerous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cant. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cant

Nglish: Translation of cant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All