tin can

noun

Synonyms of tin cannext
1
: a can made of tinplate
broadly : can sense 1a
2
slang : destroyer sense 2

Examples of tin can in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
One day, Parton fashioned a makeshift microphone by putting a tobacco stick into the ground and placing a tin can on top, performing a show of her own. — Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 Learn more about the yellow tin can that flavors our region’s seafood. — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 31 July 2026 Butch was the necessary string between their two sad tin cans. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 For just a little while, let yourself get lost in the off-kilter world and fun details of the artworks, from the cat-eye glasses made out of forks on the waitress to the mermaid’s tail, made entirely from tin can tops. — Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tin can

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tin can was in 1770

Rhymes for tin can

See All Rhymes for tin can

Browse Nearby Words

tincalconite
tin can
tinchel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tin can.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tin%20can. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tin can

noun
: a container for food made of metal (as tinplate or aluminum)

More from Merriam-Webster on tin can

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tin can

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tin can

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