No, ‘can’ is not a linking verb. It is actually classified as a modal verb.
Linking verbs are verbs that connect the subject of a sentence with a subject complement, which can be a noun or an adjective that describes or identifies the subject. Common linking verbs include ‘be’, ‘seem’, ‘become’, and ‘appear’.
In contrast, ‘can’ is used to express ability, possibility, or permission. For example, in the sentence ‘She can swim’, ‘can’ shows her ability to swim rather than linking to a description of ‘she’. Therefore, it does not fit the definition of a linking verb.