Synonyms
Examples of canary in a Sentence
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Butter yellow, a pastel between canary and beige, is everywhere right now.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2024
Related article Bangladesh’s worst ever dengue outbreak a ‘canary in the coal mine’ for climate crisis, WHO expert warns
While there is no specific treatment for the disease, Brazil is planning to roll out a mass vaccination campaign against dengue.
—Shasta Darlington, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024
Hisaishi’s music here is like a big beautiful bird puffing out its chest as much as any other character, apt for a film that must balance the usually strict rules of a Miyazaki universe with the intentionally flitting nature of a story about herons, canaries, and pelicans.
—Vulture, 24 Jan. 2024
Political attacks are the canary in the coal mine of abuses against citizens.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 2 Dec. 2023
When a major disruption hits the entertainment industry, Hollywood business managers often see themselves as canaries in the coal mine — moving at, or even before, the first sign of a threat to guard and grow their clients’ assets.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2023
But, as with other Hollywood labor disputes before it, the strike now looks like a canary in a coal mine.
—WIRED, 10 Nov. 2023
But the birds are references to the proverbial canary in the coal mine, a harbinger of danger, and the clouds meld formations the artist saw over New Mexico with the ominous one her father glimpsed above Nagasaki in August 1945.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'canary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle French canarie, from Old Spanish canario, from Islas Canarias Canary Islands
1592, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Phrases Containing canary
Dictionary Entries Near canary
Cite this Entry
“Canary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canary. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
canary
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on canary
Nglish: Translation of canary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about canary
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