Meaning of Cannibalize :

  • The act of removing reusable parts from a damaged machine/equipment, for utilization in some repair work
  • Marketing context : A decline in the sales of an older product due to introduction of a new or upgraded product model by the same/competing vendor.

Use Cannibalize in a sentence :

  • With the introduction of iPad, Apple may cannibalize its own sales of iPhone and iPod
  • It is wise to dismantle & cannibalize consumer electronics before dumping them after their product life expiry.