Synonyms for cancel
ˈkæn səlcan·cel

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.5 / 4 votes

1. cancel

   Cancel, efface, erase, expunge, and obliterate have as their first meaning the removal of written characters or other forms of record. To cancel is, literally, to make a lattice by cross-lines, exactly our English cross out; to efface is to rub off, smooth away the face, as of an inscription; to erase is to scratch out, commonly for the purpose of writing something else in the same space; to expunge, is to punch out with some sharp instrument, so as to show that the words are no longer part of the writing; to obliterate is to cover over or remove, as a letter, as was done by reversing the Roman stylus, and rubbing out with the rounded end what had been written with the point on the waxen tablet. What has been canceled, erased, expunged, may perhaps still be traced; what is obliterated is gone forever, as if it had never been. In many establishments, when a debt is discharged by payment, the record is canceled. The figurative use of the words keeps close to the primary sense. Compare ABOLISH.

   Synonyms:
   abolish, abrogate, annul, blot out, cross off, cross out, discharge, efface, erase, expunge, make void, nullify, obliterate, quash, remove, repeal, rescind, revoke, rub off, rub out, scratch out, vacate

   Antonyms:
   approve, confirm, enact, enforce, establish, maintain, perpetuate, record, reenact, sustain, uphold, write

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.5 / 2 votes

1. cancel

   Synonyms:
   efface, blot out, annul, expunge, nullify, quash, rescind, repeal, revoke, abrogate, obliterate, discharge, erase, abolish, countervail

   Antonyms:
   enforce, enact, re-enact, confirm, perpetuate, contract

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. natural, cancelverb

   a notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat

   Synonyms:
   natural

2. cancel, call off, scratch, scrubverb

   postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled

   "Call off the engagement"; "cancel the dinner party"; "we had to scrub our vacation plans"; "scratch that meeting--the chair is ill"

   Synonyms:
   itch, call off, scrape up, expunge, fret, strike down, strike, scour, chafe, come up, invalidate, grave, delete, excise, scratch, inscribe, call, engrave, scrub, scrape, fray, offset, scrub up, set off, scratch up, rub

3. cancel, offset, set offverb

   make up for

   "His skills offset his opponent's superior strength"

   Synonyms:
   call off, spark, bring out, set forth, blow up, actuate, strike down, take off, trigger off, spark off, trip, stir up, invalidate, detonate, delete, start, countervail, scratch, touch off, trigger, set out, depart, scrub, instigate, activate, explode, offset, part, incite, set off, start out

4. cancel, strike downverb

   declare null and void; make ineffective

   "Cancel the election results"; "strike down a law"

   Synonyms:
   set off, scrub, drop, scratch, strike down, cut down, invalidate, fell, call off, delete, offset

5. delete, cancelverb

   remove or make invisible

   "Please delete my name from your list"

   Synonyms:
   set off, edit, invalidate, scrub, strike down, blue-pencil, erase, scratch, call off, delete, offset

6. cancel, invalidateverb

   make invalid for use

   "cancel cheques or tickets"

   Synonyms:
   set off, void, nullify, vitiate, scrub, annul, avoid, scratch, strike down, quash, invalidate, call off, delete, offset

Matched Categories

1. • Balance
   • Mark
   • Remove

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cancelverb

   Synonyms:
   obliterate, efface, erase, expunge, blot, blot out, rub out, scratch out, wipe out

2. cancelverb

   Synonyms:
   abrogate, annul, repeal, rescind, revoke, abolish, nullify, quash, set aside, make void

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. cancelverb

   Synonyms:
   annul, abrogate, rescind, nullify, quash, abolish, countermand

   Antonyms:
   confirm, approve, corroborate, enforce, reënact, maintain

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "cancel":

   annul, cancellation, rescind, abort, cancelling, canceling, cancels, cancelled, revoke, nullify, quash, terminate, annulment, overturn, abolish, repeal, invalidate, abolition, waive, annuls, cancei, canceled, override, negate, reverse, countermand, overrule, undo, rescission, write-off, delete, abrogate, unassign

How to pronounce cancel?

How to say cancel in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1524","1"],["1592","2"],["1600","5"],["1620","1"],["1626","1"],["1644","5"],["1647","2"],["1651","1"],["1655","1"],["1656","2"],["1657","1"],["1659","1"],["1666","1"],["1667","3"],["1668","4"],["1670","1"],["1672","1"],["1673","3"],["1675","1"],["1676","3"],["1677","2"],["1678","3"],["1679","1"],["1680","2"],["1681","10"],["1682","1"],["1683","5"],["1684","5"],["1685","2"],["1686","1"],["1687","7"],["1688","9"],["1689","3"],["1692","4"],["1698","6"],["1699","1"],["1700","3"],["1701","2"],["1702","7"],["1703","5"],["1704","8"],["1705","7"],["1706","15"],["1707","10"],["1708","13"],["1709","11"],["1710","27"],["1711","14"],["1712","5"],["1713","22"],["1714","12"],["1715","13"],["1716","8"],["1717","17"],["1718","4"],["1719","4"],["1720","24"],["1721","4"],["1722","12"],["1723","23"],["1724","6"],["1725","3"],["1726","24"],["1727","17"],["1728","14"],["1729","32"],["1730","15"],["1731","17"],["1732","11"],["1733","3"],["1734","18"],["1735","8"],["1736","13"],["1737","20"],["1738","7"],["1739","15"],["1740","18"],["1741","8"],["1742","18"],["1743","19"],["1744","36"],["1745","18"],["1746","7"],["1747","25"],["1748","28"],["1749","12"],["1750","33"],["1751","25"],["1752","9"],["1753","32"],["1754","34"],["1755","34"],["1756","11"],["1757","12"],["1758","28"],["1759","34"],["1760","29"],["1761","15"],["1762","11"],["1763","67"],["1764","15"],["1765","12"],["1766","28"],["1767","11"],["1768","48"],["1769","20"],["1770","25"],["1771","13"],["1772","14"],["1773","19"],["1774","30"],["1775","30"],["1776","33"],["1777","27"],["1778","24"],["1779","19"],["1780","15"],["1781","27"],["1782","38"],["1783","22"],["1784","36"],["1785","27"],["1786","47"],["1787","43"],["1788","50"],["1789","32"],["1790","40"],["1791","49"],["1792","51"],["1793","33"],["1794","41"],["1795","35"],["1796","50"],["1797","48"],["1798","57"],["1799","78"],["1800","74"],["1801","102"],["1802","89"],["1803","98"],["1804","151"],["1805","116"],["1806","134"],["1807","209"],["1808","144"],["1809","166"],["1810","186"],["1811","170"],["1812","180"],["1813","150"],["1814","215"],["1815","173"],["1816","168"],["1817","174"],["1818","246"],["1819","155"],["1820","242"],["1821","222"],["1822","438"],["1823","281"],["1824","328"],["1825","328"],["1826","381"],["1827","237"],["1828","290"],["1829","274"],["1830","361"],["1831","281"],["1832","366"],["1833","400"],["1834","343"],["1835","328"],["1836","444"],["1837","314"],["1838","288"],["1839","498"],["1840","451"],["1841","377"],["1842","345"],["1843","371"],["1844","455"],["1845","423"],["1846","485"],["1847","431"],["1848","454"],["1849","452"],["1850","552"],["1851","598"],["1852","670"],["1853","710"],["1854","744"],["1855","740"],["1856","841"],["1857","580"],["1858","700"],["1859","775"],["1860","711"],["1861","540"],["1862","484"],["1863","676"],["1864","781"],["1865","727"],["1866","759"],["1867","739"],["1868","773"],["1869","702"],["1870","781"],["1871","742"],["1872","774"],["1873","783"],["1874","909"],["1875","1092"],["1876","1190"],["1877","978"],["1878","797"],["1879","992"],["1880","1253"],["1881","1187"],["1882","1079"],["1883","1313"],["1884","1496"],["1885","1298"],["1886","1473"],["1887","1402"],["1888","1387"],["1889","1407"],["1890","1166"],["1891","1443"],["1892","1371"],["1893","1349"],["1894","1553"],["1895","1656"],["1896","1715"],["1897","1844"],["1898","2018"],["1899","1885"],["1900","2096"],["1901","2201"],["1902","2068"],["1903","2152"],["1904","2363"],["1905","2749"],["1906","2373"],["1907","2684"],["1908","2778"],["1909","1987"],["1910","2328"],["1911","2938"],["1912","2426"],["1913","3073"],["1914","2806"],["1915","2641"],["1916","2522"],["1917","3027"],["1918","2085"],["1919","2685"],["1920","3564"],["1921","3698"],["1922","4273"],["1923","3192"],["1924","2814"],["1925","2679"],["1926","3208"],["1927","3568"],["1928","3372"],["1929","3118"],["1930","3716"],["1931","3593"],["1932","3660"],["1933","3158"],["1934","3514"],["1935","3580"],["1936","3635"],["1937","3996"],["1938","4701"],["1939","4438"],["1940","4820"],["1941","3801"],["1942","3600"],["1943","3046"],["1944","2657"],["1945","3386"],["1946","4646"],["1947","5991"],["1948","6103"],["1949","6726"],["1950","7946"],["1951","7038"],["1952","7007"],["1953","6511"],["1954","6888"],["1955","7307"],["1956","7629"],["1957","7967"],["1958","8836"],["1959","9405"],["1960","10823"],["1961","11733"],["1962","12642"],["1963","13315"],["1964","12319"],["1965","14978"],["1966","15856"],["1967","15969"],["1968","16472"],["1969","16264"],["1970","16346"],["1971","16674"],["1972","16554"],["1973","16177"],["1974","15744"],["1975","16009"],["1976","16338"],["1977","17139"],["1978","17734"],["1979","19045"],["1980","18779"],["1981","19269"],["1982","21084"],["1983","21368"],["1984","23243"],["1985","24674"],["1986","27016"],["1987","28178"],["1988","28997"],["1989","31945"],["1990","35724"],["1991","35691"],["1992","39435"],["1993","37129"],["1994","37427"],["1995","38916"],["1996","38808"],["1997","41846"],["1998","43511"],["1999","48080"],["2000","51248"],["2001","54211"],["2002","60502"],["2003","65165"],["2004","66716"],["2005","64730"],["2006","65231"],["2007","67271"],["2008","67307"]]

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use cancel in a sentence?

1. Adam Laxalt:

   Like many Nevadans I've watched over the last year to see America careen in the wrong direction, i've seen the forces of the left all join together to cancel Nevadans, cancel Americans to impose a leftist ideology.

2. Leana Wen:

   Check the Covid-19 infection rates in your area, just as you would a weather forecast. Keep an eye on Omicron and, importantly, Delta. Be ready to modify plans, though I wouldn't cancel on account of the new variant just yet.

3. Dan Gainor:

   In today’s cancel culture, journalists don’t dare be open in their criticism, so that’s why this story is all whispers.

4. Fox News:

   Everyone’s been saying it’s so brave of ABC to cancel their biggest hit show, but the bold move was actually putting this lady Hitler chef back on the air in the first place.

5. Jackson Lee:

   Do not cancel us tonight, do not ignore the pain, the history and the reasonableness of this commission.