as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
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4
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of croaking
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
This process magnifies the croaking, resulting in a surprising volume of sound considering the size of the small frogs.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaking
Adjective
-
During the debate, Joe Biden frequently lost his train of thought, stumbled over answers, and appeared hoarse, fueling concerns among voters and party leaders.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
Signs include panting, a hoarse bark, scuffing or dragging their toes along the ground, and sometimes regurgitation or swallowing problems.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The amplifying of complaining subcontractors, always easy to find.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
But many Spotify users voiced displeasure at the change-up, with some complaining that the disco ball looked pixelated on a small phone screen and, generally, was visually displeasing.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Allen plays Roxie, a dying wife and mother who arrives in the trauma bay during the show’s second season.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
Snip the entire stalk, not just the flower head, of individual wilting or dying flowers down to the node so the plant will send out new blooms.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Tom then explains the actual Trolley Problem, the philosophical debate about having to choose whether to pull a lever that will prevent a runaway trolley from killing multiple people, but will still result in the death of a single person.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
But the Israeli military has yet to fully stop hostilities, killing at least four people in separate strikes Tuesday on Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
In December 2025, Nick Reiner was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, beloved filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer/producer Michele Reiner.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
16 June 2026
-
Mangione is accused of stalking and murdering Brian Thompson, age 50, a health insurance executive and father of two, on a Manhattan street in 2024.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
-
Platner, a gruff 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran, is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins with a platform of economic populism, universal health care, labor protections, and anti-interventionism.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The cells are basically screaming ‘Hey, our DNA is getting cooked here,’ and that stimulates the pigment cell.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
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Police said officers were dispatched after a caller reported hearing a woman screaming inside an apartment.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
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With little money and competitive standards falling, players started leaving Ghana earlier than before, and not always to go to Europe.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Video of the incident shows Backs being confronted and falling backward.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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