creak

1 of 2

verb

creaked; creaking; creaks

intransitive verb

: to make a prolonged grating or squeaking sound often as a result of being worn-out
also : to proceed slowly with or as if with creaking wheels
the story creaks along to a dull conclusion

creak

2 of 2

noun

: a rasping or grating noise

Examples of creak in a Sentence

Verb The old floorboards creaked under our feet. The porch roof creaked with the heavy weight of the snow. Noun the creak of a floorboard
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The ministers wasted no time before pressing London for more money to patch up Northern Ireland's creaking public services. Jill Lawless The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2024 Up the creaking stairs to the top floor, then up another staircase to the attic. Jesse Ball, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Then, even the creaking sound of the piano pedal made it in the demo. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 14 Dec. 2023 The crypt doors have creaked open on Disney's newest Haunted Mansion attraction: the world's first-ever bar inspired by the classic ride. EW.com, 24 Oct. 2023 The coalition built by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is creaking, with infighting, disagreements about policy and accusations that elected officials no longer represent the values they were initially elected for. Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 While ironing boards are notorious for creaking, this one didn’t creak at all. Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2024 On the other side of the Atlantic, creaking power grids have left people cut off. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 5 May 2023 The direction here adds to the ominous mood as Renner lightly applies some horror conventions, from creaking floors to minor jump scares. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Noun
And zero creaks or rattles emanate from the body or drivetrain, possibly the truest testament to EMC’s extensive experience. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2024 And unlike original examples of the model, there’s not a creak or rattle to be heard. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2023 Harrow introduces prickly but lovable characters and, as with all good gothic novels, a creepy house with a mind of its own that will keep readers up late listening for creaks on their stairs. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2023 The outlet previously reported that the site has been monitored since 2018 and in October, the city installed acoustic sensors to record any noises from cracks and creaks. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023 The half-second pause after every punch-in is loaded, like the creak of the floor in a horror movie. Pitchfork, 11 Dec. 2023 The hum of fluorescent lights overhead provided a dissonant soundtrack to Marty's internal struggle, punctuated by the occasional creaks of the office settling into its nightly silence. Kimberly Svoboda, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 Stephen Clark/Ars Technica The menacing structure towering over the coastal mud flats seemed to come alive, letting out creaks and groans as the two holding arms slowly descended rails running up and down the launch pad's support tower. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2023 Finally, the nut-bolt combos come with silicone washers that eliminate squeaks and creaks. The Editors, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English creken to croak, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

1583, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of creak was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near creak

Cite this Entry

“Creak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creak. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

creak

verb
ˈkrēk
: to make a long scraping or squeaking sound
also : to go slowly with or as if with creaking wheels
creak noun

More from Merriam-Webster on creak

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